In 1940, he was manager for the re-election campaigns of the ``Coalition Ticket,'' three Democratic candidates backed by Memphis political boss Edward Crump: Governor Prentice Cooper, U.S. Senator Kenneth McKellar, and Commissioner of Railroads and Public Utilities Porter Dunlap. His service to the party having earned him Crump's support, on January 8, 1941, the Tennessee General Assembly elected Carr to the position of Secretary of State by a unanimous vote. He was to serve in that office longer than any other Tennessee Secretary of State, serving on three different occasions for a total of almost 27 years.
Crump
Carr