31:
312:, 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.
368:. 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
388:
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
405:
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
430:
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,
273:
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.
422:
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
637:
1012:
356:
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%.
352:
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.
396:
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
277:
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.
431:
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
262:), 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.
1007:
469:
960:
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365:
321:
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964:
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236:
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325:
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173:
744:
444:
361:
258:(2009—2010). During January 2009, Williams, together with all 49 House Democrats (including former Elizabethton resident
440:
265:
The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee, still stinging over the unanticipated election defeat of
255:
287:
244:
170:
159:
291:
194:
30:
997:
885:"How Kent Williams became the House's new speaker; GOP rift that led to election surprise has deep roots"
561:
862:
992:
812:
903:
324:, but because he had been hired during a Republican administration, he lost that job in 1975 after
791:
833:
251:
884:
513:
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In 2012, he won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican nominee Thomas Gray 54%-46%.
302:
206:
128:
773:
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mills. His family lived in Dale Hollow in the Sadie section of Stoney Creek, at the foot of
928:
588:
436:
390:
796:
393:
349:
266:
116:
986:
974:
953:
514:"Republicans kick Williams out of party: Tennessee House Speaker vote spurs action"
424:
411:
407:
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369:
216:
81:
69:
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494:
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ousted Williams from the party. Williams said he had no intention of joining the
328:
401:
instructed the House clerk to depart from the normal practice of conducting a
201:
259:
817:
364:, Williams ran for re-election as an Independent, or, as he called it, a
309:
435:. The party's state executive committee discussed removing him from the
239:, first elected in 2006 to the Tennessee House of Representative as a
432:
220:
691:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 - R Primary Race - Aug 07, 2008"
655:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 - R Primary Race - Aug 03, 2006"
1013:
Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
294:
813:"Humiliation! GOP Defeat in TN! State House in "Absolute Chaos!""
269:
as the next Speaker of the House, voted to eject Williams as a
447:, but continues to personally consider himself a Republican.
470:
List of American politicians who switched parties in office
254:
of the Tennessee House of Representatives during the 106th
623:"Kent who? Dazzling maneuver makes backbencher speaker,"
863:"Tennessee Legislature opens session with surprise vote"
554:"Now House speaker, Williams' life had humble beginning"
532:"Former Speaker Williams to Retire From Tennessee House"
774:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 06, 2012"
727:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 02, 2010"
709:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 04, 2008"
673:"Our Campaigns - TN State House 04 Race - Nov 07, 2006"
290:
in 1949. His father worked as a laborer in one of the
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200:
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182:
165:
143:
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122:
110:
87:
75:
63:
44:
21:
1008:Speakers of the Tennessee House of Representatives
47:Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
489:
487:
485:
834:"Right Wing Republicans Thwarted in Tennessee"
91:Tennessee House of Representatives
638:Victor in 4th vows action on stalled projects
348:in 2006. He challenged incumbent Republican
8:
247:in 2006 and reelected to the House in 2008.
59:January 13, 2009 – January 11, 2011
406:voted with the Democrats to elect Democrat
106:January 9, 2007 – January 13, 2015
942:
902:Johnson II, Lucas L. (February 10, 2009).
878:
876:
547:
545:
282:Early life, education, and business career
243:from House District 4 (then entirely then
29:
18:
235:(born June 23, 1949) was a member of the
929:"Representatives - TN General Assembly"
481:
856:
854:
322:Tennessee Department of Transportation
320:Early in his career he worked for the
308:He left Carter County to find work in
861:Naujeck, Jeannie (January 13, 2009).
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
583:
581:
579:
7:
1003:People from Carter County, Tennessee
792:"Williams upsets House Speaker race"
552:Thompson, John (January 17, 2008).
410:as speaker pro-tem over Republican
965:Tennessee House of Representatives
883:Schrade, Brad (January 18, 2009).
346:Tennessee House of Representatives
335:Tennessee House of Representatives
237:Tennessee House of Representatives
14:
512:Emery, Theo (February 10, 2009).
832:Anaxamander (January 13, 2009).
627:Vol. 35, No. 3, January 16, 2009
904:"Tennessee GOP ousts Williams"
1:
445:Democratic Party of Tennessee
362:Republican Party of Tennessee
169:Independent (self-proclaimed
933:www.legislature.state.tn.us
439:. On February 9, 2009, the
344:Williams first ran for the
1029:
867:Nashville Business Journal
593:Tennessee General Assembly
499:Tennessee General Assembly
441:Tennessee Republican Party
360:After being ousted by the
301:. Williams graduated from
256:Tennessee General Assembly
971:
958:
950:
945:
811:Rook (January 13, 2009).
226:
134:
99:
52:
40:
28:
366:Carter County Republican
288:Carter County, Tennessee
160:Carter County, Tennessee
495:"Speaker Kent Williams"
195:Elizabethton, Tennessee
178:Republican (until 2009)
745:"Kingsport Times-News"
456:Business and Utilities
316:Early political career
625:The Tennessee Journal
451:Committee assignments
286:Williams was born in
95:from the 4th district
778:www.ourcampaigns.com
749:Kingsport Times-News
731:www.ourcampaigns.com
713:www.ourcampaigns.com
695:www.ourcampaigns.com
677:www.ourcampaigns.com
659:www.ourcampaigns.com
800:. January 13, 2009.
267:Rep. Jason Mumpower
16:American politician
946:Political offices
910:. Associated Press
908:The Leaf-Chronicle
642:Johnson City Press
558:Johnson City Press
536:Memphis Daily News
981:
980:
972:Succeeded by
331:became governor.
303:Unaka High School
250:Williams was the
230:
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207:Unaka High School
129:John Holsclaw Jr.
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951:Preceded by
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751:. Archived from
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644:, August 5, 2006
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564:on March 4, 2016
560:. Archived from
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459:State Government
299:Holston Mountain
176:) (2009—present)
157:
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139:Personal details
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35:Williams in 2014
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636:John Thompson,
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391:Majority Leader
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166:Political party
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889:The Tennessean
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797:The Tennessean
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518:The Tennessean
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394:Jason Mumpower
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350:Jerome Cochran
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260:Rep. Gary Odom
228:
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186:Gayle Williams
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117:Jerome Cochran
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88:Member of the
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998:Living people
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755:on 2012-03-23
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418:Voting record
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245:Carter County
242:
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233:Kent Williams
225:
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171:Carter County
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156:(age 75)
154:June 23, 1949
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23:Kent Williams
20:
975:Beth Harwell
959:
954:Jimmy Naifeh
932:
923:
912:. Retrieved
907:
897:
888:
866:
841:. Retrieved
837:
827:
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806:
795:
786:
777:
768:
757:. Retrieved
753:the original
748:
739:
730:
721:
712:
703:
694:
685:
676:
667:
658:
649:
641:
632:
624:
596:. Retrieved
592:
566:. Retrieved
562:the original
557:
535:
526:
517:
507:
498:
429:
425:Jimmy Naifeh
421:
412:Beth Harwell
408:Lois DeBerry
399:Jimmy Naifeh
387:
374:
370:Beth Harwell
359:
355:
343:
319:
307:
292:Elizabethton
285:
276:
270:
264:
249:
232:
231:
217:Restaurateur
124:Succeeded by
101:
82:Beth Harwell
77:Succeeded by
70:Jimmy Naifeh
54:
993:1949 births
843:January 14,
598:January 20,
589:"Biography"
568:January 27,
329:Ray Blanton
112:Preceded by
65:Preceded by
987:Categories
969:2009–2011
914:2009-02-10
759:2011-09-26
476:References
241:Republican
213:Occupation
202:Alma mater
174:Republican
150:1949-06-23
403:roll call
340:Elections
271:bona fide
191:Residence
102:In office
55:In office
838:DailyKos
818:DailyKos
464:See also
326:Democrat
310:Michigan
963:of the
961:Speaker
384:Speaker
252:Speaker
433:caucus
389:House
379:Tenure
221:Farmer
183:Spouse
437:party
295:rayon
45:80th
845:2009
600:2009
570:2009
144:Born
427:."
989::
931:.
906:.
887:.
875:^
865:.
853:^
836:.
815:.
794:.
776:.
747:.
729:.
711:.
693:.
675:.
657:.
640:,
608:^
591:.
578:^
556:.
544:^
534:.
516:.
497:.
484:^
414:.
372:.
305:.
219:,
152:)
935:.
917:.
891:.
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847:.
821:.
780:.
762:.
733:.
715:.
697:.
679:.
661:.
602:.
572:.
538:.
520:.
501:.
148:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
