Word: purcelle
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“I found in that work the most satisfaction and the most meaning within my profession,” Purcell says.
After spending time in legal services and as a public defender, Purcell was pressured by his neighbors to run for the Tennessee legislature. But to call Purcell an outsider was an understatement: he’d never even been to the capitol building.
“I don’t know if they thought somehow it would give me an advantage or if I would be more willing to run if I hadn’t seen the capitol,” Purcell says.
Nevertheless, Purcell jumped into what proved to be a difficult race for the House of Representatives, since he lacked support from any major Nashville groups. The race even took a physical toll on Purcell—his weight dropped to 135 pounds by Election Day. But Purcell says he enjoyed...
Despite his difficulties, Purcell won the election and joined the legislature in 1986. During the five terms Purcell spent at the state capital, he continued to focus on children’s issues and was elected chairman of the Select Committee on Children and Health.