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Kent Williams, Tennessee Representative
| Kent Williams | ||
 | ||
| Tennessee House Of Representatives District 4 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2007-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| November 4, 2014 | ||
| Years in position | 6 | |
| Party | Carter County Republican | |
| Leadership | ||
| Speaker of the House, Tennessee House of Representatives | ||
| 2009-2011 | ||
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $19,009/year | |
| Per diem | $173/legislative day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | 2006 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| High school | Unaka High School, 1967 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | June 23, 1949 | |
| Place of birth | Elizabethton, TN | |
| Profession | Business Owner | |
| Religion | Southern Baptist | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Biography
Williams graduated from Unaka High School in 1967. He has worked in the Engineering Department for the Tennessee Department of Transportation and as Restaurant Manager of Sizzler Family Steakhouses. From 1981 to 1991, he was Vice President of Operations for Family Steak Houses of Miami, Incorporated. Williams then worked as Vice President of Steak Houses of Homestead, Incorporated from 1991 to 1995. He has been the owner of Dinos Restaurant since 1995.
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Williams served on the following committees:
| Tennessee Committee Assignments, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Business and Utilities | ||||
| • State Government | ||||
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Williams served on these committees:
| Tennessee Committee Assignments, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Children & Family Affairs | ||||
| • Commerce | ||||
| • State & Local Government | ||||
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Williams served on these committees:
| Tennessee Committee Assignments, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Calendar and Rules | ||||
| • Rules | ||||
Elections
2012
Williams won re-election in the 2012 election for Tennessee House of Representatives, District 4. Williams defeated Thomas M. Gray, III (R) in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[1][2]
| Tennessee House of Representatives, District 4, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Independent |  Kent Williams Incumbent |
53.7% | 11,473 | |
| Republican | Thomas Gray III | 46.3% | 9,887 | |
| Total Votes | 21,360 | |||
2010
Williams was re-elected to the 4th District Seat in 2010. He defeated Republican Jerome Cochran in the general election on November 2, 2010.[3]
| Tennessee House of Representatives, District 4 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Kent Williams (I)
|
7,937 | |||
| Jerome Cochran (R) | 5,899 | |||
2008
On Nov. 4, 2008, Williams won re-election to the 4th District Seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, defeating opponent Priscilla Steele (I). [4]
Williams raised $71,496 for his campaign while Steele raised $0. [5]
| Tennessee House of Representatives, District 4 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Kent Williams (R)
|
14,816 | |||
| Priscilla Steele (D) | 3,087 | |||
Campaign donors
2012
Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.
2010
In 2010, Williams received $161,381 in campaign donations. The top contributors are listed below.[6]
| Tennessee House of Representatives 2010 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to Kent Williams, Tennessee Representative's campaign in 2010 | |
| Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association | $5,500 |
| Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Of Tennessee | $5,000 |
| Tennessee Bankers Association | $2,500 |
| Comcast | $2,500 |
| United Association Of Journeymen And Apprentices Of The Plumbing And Pipe Fitting Industry Of The United States And Canada | $2,500 |
| Total Raised in 2010 | $161,381 |
2008
Williams raised $71,496 in the 2008 election cycle.
His major contributors are listed below. [7]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tennessee State Employees Association | $3,000 |
| Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association | $3,000 |
| Tennessee Association of Realtors | $2,250 |
| Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee | $2,000 |
| Tennessee Medical Association | $1,750 |
Personal
Williams and his wife, Gayle, have four children. They currently reside in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Controversies
Removal from Republican Party
On February 9, 2009 Williams was kicked out of the Republican Party by Tennessee Republican Party Chairwoman Robin Smith. Smith claimed that she would "no longer recognize Rep. Kent Williams as a Republican in good standing in the state of Tennessee."[8] Williams sided with 49 Democrats to become the Speaker of the House in January, which Smith found to be in violation of Republican Party bylaws, which require members to vote for Republican nominees. After his removal from the GOP, Williams found it appropriate to form the Carter County Republican Caucus, stating he was not comfortable siding with Democrats. [8]
Recent news
 |
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This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Kent + Williams + Tennessee + House of Representatives"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
Kent Williams News Feed
- A Preakness Primer: 138 years of horses, hats and ?high? society - Baltimore Sun (blog)
- College football countdown
- County 4-H members attend state 4-H Congress - Elizabethton Star
- Exclusive Interview: Sam Palladio on NASHVILLE Season 1 and beyond - Assignment X
- Todd McShay 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Last Look at McShay's Predictions - Bleacher Report
- Flashback: Betting hurts Packers - Leader-Telegram
- Photos: 2013 NFL Draft - Denver Post
- Dozier's Top-Five Finishes Tops Tigers at Bellarmine - DePauw University
- Mock finish - Bengals.com
- Arts and entertainment event calendar - Richmond Times Dispatch
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
External links
- Tennessee Legislature - Representative Kent Williams
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006
- Tennessee Votes profile
References
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State - 2012 Primary Candidates
- ↑ Tennessee Department of State - Unofficial primary results
- ↑ Tennessee General election results
- ↑ Election Results, Tennessee House of Representatives, District 4
- ↑ District 4 Tennessee House Spending, 2008
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2010 contributions
- ↑ Tennessee House donor numbers
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Timesnews.net, Tennessee GOP ousts House Speaker Kent Williams from party, 9 Feb 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee House of Representatives District 4 2007–present |
Succeeded by NA |
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