Kerry Roberts

Kerry Roberts (born September 24, 1961) is a Republican member of the Tennessee Senate for the 25th District,^[1] which includes Robertson County, Dickson County, Cheatham County, Humphreys County and Hickman County.

.^[2] Prior to redistricting in 2012 he was the Senator representing the 18th district, encompassing Springfield, as well as Robertson County and Sumner County.^[3][4][5]

Senate District 18 was greatly altered in the redistricting after the 2010 census and Roberts' home county of Robertson was moved to Senate District 25, requiring Roberts to wait until 2014 to run for re-election to the Tennessee Senate. He was succeeded by another Republican, Ferrell Haile, in November 2012.

Roberts won the August 7, 2014 Republican Primary with 42 percent of the vote in a four-way primary, and then defeated Democratic Party nominee Tony Gross in the November 4, 2014, General Election with 70 percent of the vote.

Tennessee State Senators are elected to four-year terms.

Early life

Born in Bedford, Indiana, Kerry graduated Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee with an Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1983.^[3][3][4][4]

Biography

Roberts has been married to his wife, Dianne, since August 1987. They have three children, all of whom attend public schools. He is a member of the Church of Christ.^[3] Roberts lives on a farm just outside Springfield, TN, that dates back to the 1860s.

Work History

After graduation from Lipscomb University, Roberts worked for Touche Ross and Company (now Deloitte). In 1985, he started his own accounting practice which he successfully sold in 1990.

In 1990, Roberts opened his first bicycle store. By 2008, he had three stores and was believed to be the largest bicycle retailer in Tennessee. Roberts also served as President and Chairman of the National Bicycle Dealers Association, presenting industry seminars in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Las Vegas, Milan, and Taipei, Taiwan. He closed his stores as a result of losses incurred by the 2010 Tennessee floods.

Roberts now owns Resource Network LLC, a company that provides accounting, finance, and technology professionals on a temporary or contract basis.^[6]

Politics

Roberts served on the Health, Government Operations, and Environment and Tourism Senate committees. He was Secretary of the Health Committee.

Roberts was named Tennessee Senate Freshman of the Year by political writer Tom Humphrey.^[7]

On his last day in the Senate, Roberts played the Tennessee Waltz on an antique trumpet his father played as a boy.

Memberships and Professional Designations

Roberts was awarded his Certified Public Accountant license on July 18, 1986. He is a member of the Chambers of Commerce of Robertson County, Cheatham County, Dickson County, Hickman County, Humphreys County, and White House, Tennessee. He is also a member of the Robertson, Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, and Humphreys County Republican Parties, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Firearms Association, the National Rifle Association, and Tennessee Right to Life.^[8]

2011 Campaign

Roberts won the Senate District 18 Republican Primary on January 20, 2011.^[9]

Roberts won the Senate District 18 General Election on March 8, 2011.^[10]

Roberts won the Senate District 25 Republican Primary on August 7, 2014.^[11]

Roberts won the Senate District 25 General Election on November 4, 2014.^[12]

2014 Campaign

Roberts announced his campaign for re-election to the Tennessee Senate on May 15, 2013.^[13] On Roberts’ birthday, September 24, 2013, Representative Joshua Evans of Greenbrier, TN, announced that he was running against Roberts.^[14] Other candidates include Tony Gross, Jim Summerville, and Wayne White.^[15] Roberts won the August 7, 2014 Republican Primary with 42.16 percent of the vote in a highly-contest primary. Representative Joshua Evans (Greenbrier) came in second with 37.82 percent, followed by incumbent Senator Jim Summerville (Dickson) at 15.87 percent, and businessman Wayne White (Dickson) at 4.15 percent.^[11] and then, in the November 4, 2014, general election, Roberts defeated Democratic Party nominee Tony Gross with 70.43 percent of the vote, compared to Gross' 29.57 percent.^[12]

Senate District 25

Senate District 25 currently includes Robertson, Dickson, Cheatham, Humphreys and Hickman counties. ^[2]

References