42:
323:, where he worked in the kitchen of a large hospital and where he met his future wife, Gayle. Williams later returned to Elizabethton, where the couple raised their four sons. Williams is a farmer and owns a restaurant in Elizabethton. He was previously a vice president of Steak Houses of Homestead Inc. and Family Steak Houses of Miami Inc.
379:. In November, he defeated Republican nominee Jerome Cochran, in the second rematch, 57%-43% (no Democrat filed to run here). In the sweeping victory of the Republican Party statewide, he would not seek re-election as Speaker and would continue to caucus with Republicans. He was succeeded as Speaker by Republican
399:
Williams was elected as speaker of the
Tennessee House on January 13, 2009, in a surprising divergence from the Republican party's accepted plan for succession. Democrats, who had lost the majority in the House for the first time since 1969, threw their support behind Williams as a means of keeping
416:
of the members in alphabetical order, instead calling first on the
Democrats, then on the Republicans. This allowed Williams to vote last, so that before he voted he knew that his vote for himself would be the deciding vote. After the vote he was booed and called a "traitor." Subsequently, Williams
441:
After the
November 2008 election in which Republicans won a one-seat majority in the House, Williams had joined the other 49 Republicans in the House in publicly pledging to vote for a Republican for speaker. He also had privately promised to vote for Mumpower. After voting with the Democrats,
284:
member of the
Tennessee Republican Party. In response, Speaker Williams then chose "Carter County Republican" as his new party designation and was later reelected to a third term in the Tennessee House of Representatives by Carter County voters over the Republican Party primary winner.
433:
Williams is considered a moderate by
Tennessee Republican standards. He was one of seven Republicans who in 2007 had voted for Democrat Naifeh as speaker of the 105th General Assembly. He explained to a friend that if he "wanted to get anything done in Carter County had to vote for
648:
1023:
367:
In 2008, Cochran challenged
Williams to a rematch. Williams defeated him again, this time by a larger margin, 65%-35%. In November, he won re-election to a second term, defeating Independent candidate Priscilla Steele 83%-17%.
363:
of
Tennessee's 4th house district. He chastised Cochran for a lack of progress in state-funded projects in Carter County. He defeated him in the August primary 54%-46%. In November, he won the general election unopposed.
407:
out of the office. Williams, one of 50 Republicans in the 99-seat House, voted for himself alongside the assembly's 49 Democrats to clinch the position, defeating
Mumpower by a vote of 50 to 49. Outgoing speaker
288:
Williams was re-elected to the House as an independent in 2010 and 2012. He did not stand for re-election to the
Speakership. On August 29, 2013, Williams announced he would not run for re-election in 2014.
442:
Williams acknowledged that he had broken a promise, but said that his votes were made in the best interest of the state. After his election as speaker, the House
Republicans expelled Williams from their
273:), cast the last tie-breaking vote from the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives to become the first elected Republican Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives since 1969.
1018:
480:
971:
57:
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413:
564:
376:
332:
542:
975:
356:
247:
101:
336:
251:
184:
755:
455:
372:
269:(2009—2010). During January 2009, Williams, together with all 49 House Democrats (including former Elizabethton resident
451:
276:
The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee, still stinging over the unanticipated election defeat of
266:
298:
255:
181:
170:
302:
205:
41:
1008:
896:"How Kent Williams became the House's new speaker; GOP rift that led to election surprise has deep roots"
572:
873:
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823:
914:
17:
335:, but because he had been hired during a Republican administration, he lost that job in 1975 after
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524:
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In 2012, he won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican nominee Thomas Gray 54%-46%.
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mills. His family lived in Dale Hollow in the Sadie section of Stoney Creek, at the foot of
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997:
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964:
525:"Republicans kick Williams out of party: Tennessee House Speaker vote spurs action"
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227:
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ousted Williams from the party. Williams said he had no intention of joining the
339:
412:
instructed the House clerk to depart from the normal practice of conducting a
212:
270:
828:
375:, Williams ran for re-election as an Independent, or, as he called it, a
320:
446:. The party's state executive committee discussed removing him from the
250:, first elected in 2006 to the Tennessee House of Representative as a
443:
231:
702:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 - R Primary Race - Aug 07, 2008"
666:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 - R Primary Race - Aug 03, 2006"
1024:
Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
305:
824:"Humiliation! GOP Defeat in TN! State House in "Absolute Chaos!""
280:
as the next Speaker of the House, voted to eject Williams as a
458:, but continues to personally consider himself a Republican.
481:
List of American politicians who switched parties in office
265:
of the Tennessee House of Representatives during the 106th
634:"Kent who? Dazzling maneuver makes backbencher speaker,"
874:"Tennessee Legislature opens session with surprise vote"
565:"Now House speaker, Williams' life had humble beginning"
543:"Former Speaker Williams to Retire From Tennessee House"
785:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 06, 2012"
738:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 02, 2010"
720:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 04, 2008"
684:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 07, 2006"
301:
in 1949. His father worked as a laborer in one of the
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121:
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74:
55:
32:
1019:Speakers of the Tennessee House of Representatives
58:Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
500:
498:
496:
845:"Right Wing Republicans Thwarted in Tennessee"
102:Tennessee House of Representatives
649:Victor in 4th vows action on stalled projects
359:in 2006. He challenged incumbent Republican
8:
258:in 2006 and reelected to the House in 2008.
70:January 13, 2009 – January 11, 2011
417:voted with the Democrats to elect Democrat
117:January 9, 2007 – January 13, 2015
953:
913:Johnson II, Lucas L. (February 10, 2009).
889:
887:
558:
556:
293:Early life, education, and business career
254:from House District 4 (then entirely then
40:
29:
246:(born June 23, 1949) was a member of the
940:"Representatives - TN General Assembly"
492:
867:
865:
333:Tennessee Department of Transportation
331:Early in his career he worked for the
319:He left Carter County to find work in
872:Naujeck, Jeannie (January 13, 2009).
630:
628:
626:
624:
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620:
594:
592:
590:
7:
1014:People from Carter County, Tennessee
803:"Williams upsets House Speaker race"
18:Kent Williams (Tennessee politician)
563:Thompson, John (January 17, 2008).
421:as speaker pro-tem over Republican
976:Tennessee House of Representatives
894:Schrade, Brad (January 18, 2009).
357:Tennessee House of Representatives
346:Tennessee House of Representatives
248:Tennessee House of Representatives
25:
523:Emery, Theo (February 10, 2009).
843:Anaxamander (January 13, 2009).
638:Vol. 35, No. 3, January 16, 2009
915:"Tennessee GOP ousts Williams"
1:
456:Democratic Party of Tennessee
373:Republican Party of Tennessee
180:Independent (self-proclaimed
944:www.legislature.state.tn.us
450:. On February 9, 2009, the
355:Williams first ran for the
1040:
878:Nashville Business Journal
604:Tennessee General Assembly
510:Tennessee General Assembly
452:Tennessee Republican Party
371:After being ousted by the
312:. Williams graduated from
267:Tennessee General Assembly
982:
969:
961:
956:
822:Rook (January 13, 2009).
237:
145:
110:
63:
51:
39:
377:Carter County Republican
299:Carter County, Tennessee
171:Carter County, Tennessee
506:"Speaker Kent Williams"
206:Elizabethton, Tennessee
189:Republican (until 2009)
756:"Kingsport Times-News"
467:Business and Utilities
327:Early political career
636:The Tennessee Journal
462:Committee assignments
297:Williams was born in
106:from the 4th district
789:www.ourcampaigns.com
760:Kingsport Times-News
742:www.ourcampaigns.com
724:www.ourcampaigns.com
706:www.ourcampaigns.com
688:www.ourcampaigns.com
670:www.ourcampaigns.com
811:. January 13, 2009.
278:Rep. Jason Mumpower
27:American politician
957:Political offices
921:. Associated Press
919:The Leaf-Chronicle
653:Johnson City Press
569:Johnson City Press
547:Memphis Daily News
992:
991:
983:Succeeded by
342:became governor.
314:Unaka High School
261:Williams was the
241:
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218:Unaka High School
140:John Holsclaw Jr.
16:(Redirected from
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962:Preceded by
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762:. Archived from
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571:. Archived from
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470:State Government
310:Holston Mountain
187:) (2009—present)
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150:Personal details
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46:Williams in 2014
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402:Majority Leader
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177:Political party
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900:The Tennessean
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808:The Tennessean
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529:The Tennessean
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405:Jason Mumpower
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361:Jerome Cochran
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271:Rep. Gary Odom
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128:Jerome Cochran
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99:Member of the
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1009:Living people
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766:on 2012-03-23
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429:Voting record
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256:Carter County
253:
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244:Kent Williams
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182:Carter County
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167:(age 75)
165:June 23, 1949
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34:Kent Williams
31:
19:
986:Beth Harwell
970:
965:Jimmy Naifeh
943:
934:
923:. Retrieved
918:
908:
899:
877:
852:. Retrieved
848:
838:
827:
817:
806:
797:
788:
779:
768:. Retrieved
764:the original
759:
750:
741:
732:
723:
714:
705:
696:
687:
678:
669:
660:
652:
643:
635:
607:. Retrieved
603:
577:. Retrieved
573:the original
568:
546:
537:
528:
518:
509:
440:
436:Jimmy Naifeh
432:
423:Beth Harwell
419:Lois DeBerry
410:Jimmy Naifeh
398:
385:
381:Beth Harwell
370:
366:
354:
330:
318:
303:Elizabethton
296:
287:
281:
275:
260:
243:
242:
228:Restaurateur
135:Succeeded by
112:
93:Beth Harwell
88:Succeeded by
81:Jimmy Naifeh
65:
1004:1949 births
854:January 14,
609:January 20,
600:"Biography"
579:January 27,
340:Ray Blanton
123:Preceded by
76:Preceded by
998:Categories
980:2009–2011
925:2009-02-10
770:2011-09-26
487:References
252:Republican
224:Occupation
213:Alma mater
185:Republican
161:1949-06-23
414:roll call
351:Elections
282:bona fide
202:Residence
113:In office
66:In office
849:DailyKos
829:DailyKos
475:See also
337:Democrat
321:Michigan
974:of the
972:Speaker
395:Speaker
263:Speaker
444:caucus
400:House
390:Tenure
232:Farmer
194:Spouse
448:party
306:rayon
56:80th
856:2009
611:2009
581:2009
155:Born
438:."
1000::
942:.
917:.
898:.
886:^
876:.
864:^
847:.
826:.
805:.
787:.
758:.
740:.
722:.
704:.
686:.
668:.
651:,
619:^
602:.
589:^
567:.
555:^
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527:.
508:.
495:^
425:.
383:.
316:.
230:,
163:)
946:.
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832:.
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744:.
726:.
708:.
690:.
672:.
613:.
583:.
549:.
531:.
512:.
159:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
