Summary

Tennessee is located in the Southern region of the USA with Nashville as its capital. Bill Lee (R) is Governor.

The Tennessee legislature has 33 Senate members and 99 House members

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News

i
Latest Tennessee onAir News
December 20, 2023

The base content in each post in this Tennessee onAir Hub has been updated as of 12/20/23. In addition to the eight posts on the home page, in depth posts on each US House member and posts on Tennessee government and elections have been started. These posts have been shared with the US onAir Hub and will updated in the US onAir automatically when they are updated in this hub.

If your university or nonpartisan organization (such as a government focused research center, citizen engagement program or a League of Women Voters chapter) is interested in assisting the US onAir network to help curate new  issue posts or other posts on this Hub and moderate the forums in each post, contact Ben Murphy at Ben.Murphy@onair.cc.

We are also supporting college students to start an onAir chapter on the their campus to coordinate the curation and moderation of posts especially on state and local representatives and government.

About

The Tennessee onAir Hub supports Tennesseans to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.

  • TennesseeonAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy.  This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts.  Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites.  Key content on the Tennessee Hub is also replicated on the US onAir national Hub at: us.onair.cc.
  • Tennessee students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content.  As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.

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Web Links

State Representatives

Governor Bill Lee

Bill Lee 1Current Position: US Senator since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: CEO Lee Company from 1992 – 2016

Lee was president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Lee Company, a business operated by his family, from 1992 to 2016.

In 2017, Lee described himself as a social conservative.[4] As governor, he has signed bills to ban abortion in Tennessee, mask mandates, and ranked-choice voting; to allow guns to be carried without a permit, create school voucher programs, and increase penalties for protest-related offenses.

Featured Quote: 
.@DollyParton is a Tennessee treasure, and I’m thankful she’s joined us to commemorate Tennessee’s 225 birthday with this new video featuring communities across our state. @Tennessee225 #TN225

OnAir Post: Bill Lee – TN

US Representatives

Senator Marsha Blackburn

Marsha Blackburn 1Current Position: US Senator since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: US Representative from 2003 – 2019; State Senator from 1999 – 2003; Executive Director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission from 1997 – 1999
Other Positions:  Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security – Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Blackburn became the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, defeating Democratic former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. A supporter of the Tea Party movement, Blackburn is a staunch backer of former president Donald Trump.

In 1978, she became the owner of Marketing Strategies, a promotion-event management firm.  In 1995, Blackburn was appointed executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission.

Featured Quote: 
Authoritarian regimes like the CCP cannot continue their uncontested reign within the United Nations. It’s time for the international community to hold these adversaries accountable, with the United States leading the way. @BrookeSingman

OnAir Post: Marsha Blackburn – TN

Senator Bill Hagerty

Bill Hagerty 1Current Position: US Senator
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development from 2011 – 2014

Hagerty worked as an economic advisor and White House fellow under President George H. W. Bush. He then began a career in private equity. Hagerty is the co-founder of Hagerty Peterson & Company, a private equity investment firm; he is a former managing director of the firm.

From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He led a successful effort to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Nashville. President Donald Trump nominated Hagerty to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan on March 27, 2017

Featured Quote: 
Today, I placed my left hand on the Bible and raised my right hand to be sworn in as your new U.S. Senator. I am humbled by the confidence you have placed in me and promise to always represent our Tennessee values proudly. Now it’s time to get to work. Thank you for this honor!

Sen. Bill Hagerty: Fed has way overshot the 2% inflation target

OnAir Post: Bill Hagerty – TN

Diana Harshbarger TN-01

TN GovernanceCurrent Position: US House of Representatives District #1 from 2021
Affiliation:
 Republican
Former Position: Pharmacist from 1997 – 2020
District:  Tri-Cities area in northeastern Tennessee.
Upcoming Election:

Harshbarger has been a licensed pharmacist since 1987.[5] She and her husband, Bob, operate Premier Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy.

Featured Quote: 
I am honored to have the support of our President @realDonaldTrump!!! Now more than ever we need folks in Congress who will work with our President and continue to add to his record of accomplishment, not partisan liberals who will be a rubber stamp for @SpeakerPelosi

OnAir Post: Diana Harshbarger TN-01

Tim Burchett TN-02

Tim Burchett 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 2 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Positions: Mayor of Knox County from 2010 – 2018; State Senator from 1999 – 2010; State Delegate from 1995 – 1999
District:    based in Knoxville
Upcoming Election:

On February 10, 2012, Burchett appeared on WBIR-TV and officially announced that the county’s first “cash mob” would be held at the Emery’s 5 & 10 store in South Knoxville. The cash mob gained national attention, and was mentioned in Time magazine.

Featured Quote: 
“China is responsible” in response to this article Is China going to fry the global climate?

OnAir Post: Tim Burchett TN-02

Chuck Fleischmann TN-03

Chuck Fleischmann 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 3 since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Lawyer from 1987 – 2011
District:   based in Chattanooga and includes a large part of East Tennessee, including Oak Ridge.
Upcoming Election:

Fleischmann is of Italian, English, and Austro-Hungarian descent, and is a distant relative of Harry Houdini.

After graduating from law school, Fleischmann moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and founded an independent law firm, Fleischmann and Fleischmann, in 1987. He is a former president of the Chattanooga Bar Association and former chair of the Chattanooga Lawyers Pro Bono Committee.

Featured Quote: 
Say it with me: Nuclear Energy is the most RELIABLE and EFFECTIVE source of carbon-free energy

OnAir Post: Chuck Fleischmann TN-03

Scott DesJarlais TN-04

Scott DesJarlais 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 4 since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
District:   Most of the district is rural, but many residents live in the suburbs of Chattanooga and Nashville
Upcoming Election:

Over ten years he, his parents and his brother and sister built their own house in Sturgis; his parents still live there.

DesJarlais earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Psychology from the University of South Dakota in 1987 and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in 1991. He moved to East Tennessee in 1993 to practice medicine as a generalist.

OnAir Post: Scott DesJarlais TN-04

Andy Ogles TN-05

Andy Ogles TN-05 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 5 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Businessman and Mayor Maury County from 2018 to 2022
District: Since the 2022 election cycle, there is no longer a congressional district centered on the city of Nashville itself. Tennessee’s 5th is a gerrymandered district designed to favor Republican candidates. The 5th District comprises a southern portion of Davidson County; portions of Wilson and Williamson Counties; and the entirety of Maury, Lewis, and Marshall Counties.
Upcoming Election:

Ogles has worked as a conservative activist, serving as the executive director of the Laffer Center, a think tank supportive of fiscal conservatism and the free market, and the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity.

Ogles has worked as a restaurant operator and a real estate investor. His involvement in politics began when he became the first director of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity. He has also been a Club for Growth Foundation fellow.

OnAir Post: Andy Ogles TN-05

John Rose TN-06

John Rose 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 6 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Entrepreneur from 1990 – 2019
District: Middle Tennessee. Much of the sixth district is rural and wooded. It is spread across the geographic regions known as the Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, and the Central Basin.
Upcoming Election:

John Rose was commissioner of agriculture for Tennessee and president of Boson Software, LLC. He owns a family farm in rural Temperance Hall, west of Cookeville.

In 1992, Rose co-founded Transcender Corp., a provider of online information technology certification products that was sold in October 2000 for $60 million.

Featured Quote: 
For those reaching out to my office with concerns over COVID-19, we suggest following @CDCgov
recommendations published at http://cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov… or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

OnAir Post: John Rose TN-06

Mark E. Green TN-07

Mark E. Green 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 7 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: State Senator from 2013 – 2018
District: parts of Middle and West Tennessee. most of the area is rural, more than half of the district’s vote is cast in either Montgomery County (Clarksville) or Williamson County (Franklin, Brentwood).
Upcoming Election:

Green has chaired the Committee on Homeland Security since 2023. After graduating from West Point, Green was an infantry officer. He then graduated from Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University and became a flight surgeon, serving tours of duty in the War in Afghanistan and Iraq War.

Green became the CEO of a hospital emergency department staffing company.

Featured Quote: 
We cannot allow the American dream to be destroyed by socialism. RT if you agree!

OnAir Post: Mark E. Green TN-07

David Kustoff TN-08

David Kustoff 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 8 since 2017
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee from 2006 – 2008
District:   The district appears rural on a map, but the bulk of its vote is cast in the suburban and exurban areas around Memphis.
Upcoming Election:

n 1998, Kustoff opened a law firm with Jim Strickland, whom he met at the University of Memphis. Both became active in Tennessee politics; Strickland was elected mayor of Memphis in 2015.

He served as George W. Bush’s campaign chair in Tennessee during the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. In 2006, President Bush nominated Kustoff as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. The U.S. Senate confirmed him.

Featured Quote: 
Through @JoeBiden’s open border policies, we’re seeing a health crisis at our border. Unfortunately, House Dems just blocked the PAUSE Act, a bill that would keep an important border health protection in place & help prevent immigrants carrying COVID from entering our country.

OnAir Post: David Kustoff TN-08

Steve Cohen TN-09

Steve Cohen 1Current Position: US Representative of TN District 9 since 2007
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Senator from 1983 – 2006
Other Positions:  Ranking Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Aviation
District: The district includes the western three-fourths of Memphis
Upcoming Election:

Cohen contracted polio when he was five, and the disease caused him to shift his attention from sports to politics at an early age. Cohen describes Kennedy as his political hero. His father had established his private psychiatry practice in Memphis.

From 1978 to 2006, Cohen was the sole practitioner of his own law firm, practicing civil and criminal law. Cohen rose to political prominence when he was elected vice president of the Tennessee Constitutional Convention of 1977 at age 27.

Featured Quote: 
America has lost a hero. I have lost a hero, a dear friend, a #GoodTrouble cohort & colleague. It has been an honor to know & serve with @RepJohnLewis. He was the embodiment of Dr. King, Mahatma Gandhi, & heaven on earth. #RIPJohnLewis

OnAir Post: Steve Cohen TN-09

More Information

Wikipedia


The Government of Tennessee is organized under the provisions of the 1870 Constitution of Tennessee, first adopted in 1796.[1] As set forth by the state constitution, administrative influence in Tennessee is divided among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The seat of the government in Tennessee is located in its capital city of Nashville.

The Flag of Tennessee

Executive branch

Governor

The Governor of Tennessee is the Supreme Executive Power set by the state Constitution. The Governor (currently Governor Bill Lee[2]) is responsible for enforcing state laws and the state constitution and is also known as the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Tennessee.

Lieutenant governor

The Tennessee Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer of the Tennessee Senate and first in line in the succession to the office of governor of Tennessee. If the governor is incapacitated or dies in office, then the lieutenant governor becomes the governor. The lieutenant governor is a state senator elected by the entire Senate to be the Speaker of the Senate.

Cabinet Members

The Tennessee Governor’s Cabinet is an advisory body that oversees the executive branch of the Tennessee state government. Members, titled “commissioners,” are appointed by the governor—not subject to the approval of the Tennessee General Assembly—and oversee the various government departments and agencies. Additionally, several members of the governor’s staff serve in the cabinet. Governor-elects can, and often do, rearrange the departments, and thus the number of commissioners.

Under the incumbent Governor Bill Lee, there are 29 members of the Cabinet: 22 commissioners, 1 director, and 6 members of the Governor’s staff.[3]

Legislative branch

Tennessee General Assembly

Flag of the General Assembly of Tennessee

The state legislature is known as the Tennessee General Assembly. It consists of a 33 member Senate, and a 99 member House of Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, and house members serve two-year terms. Each chamber elects its own speaker from among its members. The General Assembly is a part-time legislature, typically meeting from January through April or May each year.[4]

The current Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate is Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge). He was elected on January 10, 2017, and is the second consecutive Republican to hold the office.

The current Speaker of the House is Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville)

Constitutional Officers

Tennessee’s three constitutional officers are elected by a joint session of the legislature. The Comptroller of the Treasury and State Treasurer are elected for two-year terms, and the Secretary of State is elected for a four-year term.

Tennessee Constitutional Officers
Constitutional OfficeIncumbentIn office sinceWebsite
Comptroller of the TreasuryJason E. Mumpower2021[5]
Secretary of StateTre Hargett2009[6]
State TreasurerDavid Lillard2009[7]

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Source:[8]

The Supreme Court of Tennessee is the state’s highest court in the state. The Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, and four justices. The incumbent Chief Justice is Holly M. Kirby.[9] No more than two justices can be from the same Grand Division.

JusticeBornJoinedChief JusticeTerm ends[a]Grand Division
represented
Appointed byLaw school
Jeffrey S. Bivins (1960-08-31) August 31, 1960 (age 64)July 16, 20142016–20212030MiddleBill Haslam (R)Vanderbilt
Holly M. Kirby, Chief Justice (1957-07-09) July 9, 1957 (age 67)September 1, 20142023–present2030WestBill Haslam (R)Memphis
Roger A. Page (1955-10-07) October 7, 1955 (age 69)February 22, 20162021–20232030WestBill Haslam (R)Memphis
Sarah K. Campbell1982 (age 41–42)February 10, 20222030MiddleBill Lee (R)Duke
Dwight E. Tarwater (1955-04-28) April 28, 1955 (age 69)September 1, 20232024EastBill Lee (R)Tennessee
  1. ^ Term ends Aug. 31 of the year listed.

In a unique method known as the Tennessee Plan, Supreme Court justices, like all other appellate court judges, the Governor fills any vacancies that occur, with the advice and consent of the Tennessee General Assembly, from a list of three judges compiled by a commission. At the next election in which a governor is elected, voters are asked whether they want to retain or remove the newly-confirmed justice. Retention votes are held every eight years after. If voters decide to remove a justice, the process begins again.

As required by the Tennessee Constitution, the Supreme Court regularly meets in Jackson, Knoxville, and Nashville. In addition to the regular meetings of the Supreme Court, the Court takes their oral arguments on the road as part of the SCALES program (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) a few times each year.

Attorney General

The Tennessee Attorney General is the state’s chief legal officer and works to represent all of the state government. The Attorney General employs around 340 people across five offices around the state.

The Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the Attorney General, a method not found in any of the other 49 states. As of 2023, the incumbent Attorney General is Jonathan Skrmetti.

Intermediate Appellate Courts

The intermediate appellate courts of Tennessee include the court of appeals and the court of criminal appeals. The court of appeals hears cases appealed from probate, chancery, and circuit courts, whereas the court of criminal appeals hears cases appealed from circuit and criminal courts.

Both the Court of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals have 12 judges.

Trial Courts

Trial courts in the state of Tennessee include probate courts, chancery courts, circuit courts, and criminal courts. The circuit courts, chancery and probate courts, and criminal courts each have 31 judicial districts.

Courts of Limited Jurisdiction

The courts of limited jurisdiction include juvenile courts, general sessions courts, and municipal courts.

District Attorneys

Map of Tennessee’s judicial districts

Tennessee elects district attorneys by judicial district. They are called “The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.”

Judicial DistrictCountiesDistrict Attorney
1stCarter, Johnson, Unicoi, and WashingtonSteven R. Finney (R)
2ndSullivanBarry P. Staubus (R)
3rdGreene, Hamblen, Hancock, and HawkinsDan E. Armstrong (R)
4thCocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and SevierJimmy B. Dunn (R)
5thBlountRyan Desmond (R)
6thKnoxCharme Allen (R)
7thAndersonDave S. Clark (Ind.)
8thCampbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and UnionJared R. Effler (Ind.)
9thLoudon, Meigs, Morgan, and RoaneRussell Johnson (Ind.)
10thBradley, McMinn, Monroe, and PolkSteve Crump (R)
11thHamiltonCoty Wamp (R)
12thBledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Rhea, and SequatchieCourtney Lynch (R)
13thClay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and WhiteBryant C. Dunaway (R)
14thCoffeeCraig Northcott (R)
15thJackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and WilsonJason Lawson (R)
16thCannon and RutherfordJennings H. Jones (R)
17thBedford, Lincoln, Marshall, and MooreRobert J. Carter (Ind.)
18thSumnerRay Whitley (R)
19thMontgomery and RobertsonRobert Nash (R)
20thDavidsonGlenn Funk (D)
21stWilliamsonKim R. Helper (R)
22ndGiles, Lawrence, Maury, and WayneBrent A. Cooper (R)
23rdCheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, and StewartRay Crouch, Jr. (R)
24thBenton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and HenryNeil Thomson (R)
25thFayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy, and TiptonMark E. Davidson (R)
26thChester, Henderson, and MadisonJody Pickens (R)
27thObion and WeakleyColin Johnson (Ind.)
28thCrockett, Gibson, and HaywoodFrederick Agree (R)
29thDyer and LakeDanny Goodman, Jr. (Ind.)
30thShelbySteven J. Mulroy (D)
31stVan Buren and WarrenChristopher R. Stanford (R)
32ndHickman, Lewis, and PerryHans L. Schwendimann (R)

Source:[10][11]

Local government

Tennessee is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties, which derive all of their power from the state. Incorporated cities and towns are those that have been granted home rule, possessing a local government in the form of a city or town council.

National government

The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Tennessee was the sixteenth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on June 21, 1796. Tennessee elects two United States Senators and nine members of the United States House of Representatives.

See also

References