The Tri-Star State: Meet Cameron Sexton, The Man Likely To Become House Speaker

Followers of Tennessee state politics have a new name to focus on: Cameron Sexton.

The Crossville Republican is set to replace Glen Casada as House Speaker after a vote by the House GOP caucus last week.

Casada has dominated headlines for months amid multiple scandals and is officially stepping down from the speakership this week. And even though Sexton is the chairman of the House GOP caucus, he’s relatively unknown outside of his district.

So in this week’s episode of The Tri-Star State, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán looks into the lawmaker’s history and what Tennesseans might expect as he steps into a crucial legislative role.

The following are excerpts from recent interviews: 

Rep. Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, on re-hiring employees that have resigned amid scandals:

“Those people who have left employment here will not be coming back if I’m your speaker. And there may be some who are here now who will not be here when I become Speaker.”

Sexton on whether embattled Rep. David Byrd should resign from the Tennessee House of Representatives:

“Whether or not he resigns is up to him. That’s not up to us. That’s his decision and his family decision. I don’t think he should be expelled.”

Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, on how he thinks electing a new speaker will not solve lingering issues in the legislature:

“How can the Republicans seriously look at people in the eye and say they can have a real leadership election before any of these scandals are resolved?”

Our ongoing conversations about Tennessee politics are available in The Tri-Star State podcast. You can listen by visiting
wpln.org/tristar or subscribe using your favorite podcasting app.