In 1978, he began employment as a hospital pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

[9] McNally was a candidate for lieutenant governor and Speaker of the Senate in 2007, but fellow Republican Ron Ramsey was elected.

[13][14] Various LGBT groups criticized McNally and accused him of hypocrisy, due to his support for socially conservative laws, including the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act.

[15] A spokesman for McNally stated he "enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds and orientations on social media" and "has no intention of stopping".

[14][16] About a week later, state Rep. Todd Warner released a statement calling on McNally to step down and accusing him of being a predator.