Harwell Elected Tennessee House Speaker

Nashville Republican Beth Harwell took her place as the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives today. The first woman to ever hold the post called for Republicans and Democrats to set aside differences.

After the unanimous vote, the new speaker spoke frankly of the hard-fought election battles that brought in 22 freshman lawmakers.

“You and others have been through some tough campaigns, but the elections are behind us. And now we begin the more difficult task of governing.”

Republicans now outnumber Democrats in the House by nearly 2-to-1. But Harwell said the citizens aren’t as impressed by party differences as the political activists are. She says voters are tired of gridlock..

“I will always be true to the principles of the party that nominated me. And I understand legislative debate. But over the years I have observed this body set aside partisanship and… regional differences to do the right thing for Tennessee, because this body is made up of statesmen.”

Harwell is a former political science college professor. She replaces former Speaker Kent Williams, a onetime Republican who won the position two years ago with his own vote and the votes of the Democrats in the House.

Web Extra:

Harwell, one of the two most senior Republicans in the House, presides with the help of a 64-member Republican majority in the lower House of the state legislature.

Almost a fourth of the Tennessee House are brand-new. Harwell spelled out the message she wants the
members – a majority of them from her own Republican party – to take from the voters.

“Citizens sent us a very clear message this last election, that day. They are frustrated with the out-of-control spending they see in Washington, D.C., and they do not want to see it here.”

Harwell stressed her conservative credentials to land the nomination by her party, but she has traditionally
been seen as a moderate. She also got the votes of all 33 Democrats in the House.