Beth Harwell
| Beth Halteman Harwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 81st Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Kent Williams |
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 56th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1988 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 24, 1957 Norristown, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Samuel Harwell |
| Children | Allie Harwell, Sam Harwell, and Tucker Harwell |
| Residence | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Alma mater | Lipscomb University Vanderbilt University |
| Occupation | Professor |
| Religion | Church of Christ |
Beth Halteman Harwell[1][2] (born July 24, 1957, in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is the current Speaker of the House in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She serves as Tennessee State Representative from Nashville and former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 2001 through 2004.[3] A longtime member of the Tennessee House of Representatives since 1988, Harwell was a ranking Republican in the House (former Minority Whip) and Commerce Committee chairwoman,[1][2] and is one of the female stars of the Republican Party in Tennessee.[citation needed] She is the first woman to serve as Tennessee's Speaker of the House.
In 1978 Harwell received her bachelor of arts from Lipscomb University. She received a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. She is married to Samuel Harwell. The couple has three children.[4]
Harwell received the Small Business award from the National Federation of Independent Business.[5]
Harwell explored a run for the 2006 U.S. Senate race; however she finally decided against seeking that seat. In May 2007 Harwell said that she was considering running in the 2010 state gubernatorial election.[6]
In 2008, Harwell was the Co-Chair in the Tennessee for John McCain presidential campaign.,[7][8] who won the State electoral votes in the 2008 presidential election on November 3, getting 56.9% of the popular vote against Democrat Barack Obama.[9] During the elections, the Republican Party gained control of both the Tennessee Senate and House for the first time since Reconstruction. In January 2009, Harwell was named chairwoman of the Commerce Committee.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Beth Halteman Harwell". Vote-TN.org. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Harwell, Beth Halteman". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ Locker, Rick (July 24, 2008). "GOP chair won't say whether Rove ordered media ban". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ Lipscomb University Alumni Today 2010 (New York: Harris Connect, 2010), p. 161.
- ↑ "Rep. Beth Harwell". Friedman Foundation. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
- ↑ Davis, Michael (May 15, 2007). "Republican Rep. Harwell considering 2010 governor's race.". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ↑ Humphrey, Tom (October 22, 2008). "In presidential race, Tennessee strategies diverge". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ "Presidential campaign officer, legislator teaches students about elections this fall". Lipscomb University. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ "Tennessee: McCain vs. Obama". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ Locker, Richard (January 22, 2009). "Tennessee House Republicans to chair 7 committees, Democrats 6". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beth Harwell. |
- Beth Harwell's profile at the Tennessee General Assembly website
- Representative Beth Harwell at Project Vote Smart
- Rep. Beth Harwell at Friedman Foundation
- Political News and Views in Tennessee at Nashville Post
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kent Williams |
Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives 2011–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by |
Tennessee State Representative, 56th District 1984–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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