1. John Ragan graduated with the United States Air Force Academy Class of 1971 earning a 2.8 GPA toward his completion of a baccalaureate degree in Engineering Science.
17 Facts About John Ragan
1. 2.
John Ragan attended the University of Tennessee as a post-graduate student and the University of Oklahoma, the University of Southern California, and the University of North Carolina in professional capacities.
3.
John Ragan served as a commissioned officer for 24 years, as an Air Force pilot.
4.
John Ragan has worked as a business consultant; his 2010 campaign website stated that he had consulted with 27 businesses, a number of which are on the Fortune 100 list.
5.
John Ragan was issued a Commercial Pilot certificate by the US Federal Aviation Administration on May 19,1990, while he was a resident of Statesville, North Carolina.
6.
John Ragan has worked as a substitute teacher with local school systems.
7.
In 2010, John Ragan was first elected as State Representative to the General Assembly for the 33rd district, formerly represented by Jim Hackworth.
8.
John Ragan's campaign focused on education, illegal immigration, and the economy.
9.
The Democratic candidate who had qualified withdrew, so John Ragan was unopposed in the general election.
10.
In 2020, John Ragan was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election.
11.
In 2023, John Ragan supported a resolution to expel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules.
12.
John Ragan later challenged the results, saying that Democrats crossed over in the Republican primary to help defeat him.
13.
John Ragan receives attention for his leadership in promoting measures to prevent government, schools, and businesses from identifying transgender persons and other LGBTQ persons as a protected class or providing accommodations.
14.
John Ragan introduced a similar bill in the 2021 legislative session.
15.
Also in 2020, John Ragan was the House sponsor for a bill to authorize adoption agencies to refuse to provide adoption services under circumstances that would conflict with the agency's "sincerely held religious beliefs" and to bar state or local government from taking "adverse action" against any agency that denied services based on such beliefs.
16.
John Ragan is a Southern Baptist and a member of Grace Baptist Church, a megachurch in Knoxville, Tennessee, that in 2004 reported having 3,450 members.
17.
John Ragan has been involved in a video ministry of this church.