Kerry Roberts
2022 - Present
2026
2
Kerry Roberts (Republican Party) is a member of the Tennessee State Senate, representing District 23. He assumed office on November 8, 2022. His current term ends on November 3, 2026.
Roberts (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Tennessee State Senate to represent District 23. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.
Roberts is a former Republican member of the Tennessee State Senate, representing District 18 from 2011 to 2012. Roberts won the 2011 special election on March 8, 2011, to fill the vacancy created when Diane Black (R) was elected to U.S. Congress on November 2, 2010. However, he did not seek re-election in 2012.[1]
Biography
Kerry Roberts earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Lipscomb University in 1983. Roberts' career experience includes working as a certified public accountant and the president of Resource Network. He served as the chairman of the National Bicycle Dealers' Association.[2][3]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Roberts was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Government Operations Committee, Chair
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Government Operations Committee, Chair
2021-2022
Roberts was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Roberts was assigned to the following committees:
- Government Operations Committee, Chair
- Senate Government Operations Committee, Chair
- Senate Judiciary Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Tennessee committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor, Vice chair |
| • Government Operations |
| • Judiciary |
| • Government Operations |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Roberts served on the following committees:
| Tennessee committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources |
| • Government Operations, 2nd Vice chair |
| • Judiciary |
| • Government Operations, 2nd Vice chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Roberts served on these committees:
| Tennessee committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Environment, Conservation & Tourism |
| • General Welfare, Health & Human Resources |
| • Government Operations |
| • Government Operations |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2026
See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Tennessee State Senate District 23
Incumbent Kerry Roberts is running in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 23 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Kerry Roberts (R) | |
| ||||
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Endorsements
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2022
See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Tennessee State Senate District 23
Incumbent Kerry Roberts won election in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 23 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry Roberts (R) | 100.0 | 43,126 |
| Total votes: 43,126 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 23
Incumbent Kerry Roberts advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 23 on August 4, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry Roberts | 100.0 | 18,736 |
| Total votes: 18,736 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Tennessee State Senate District 25
Incumbent Kerry Roberts defeated Wade Munday in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 25 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry Roberts (R) | 71.5 | 47,188 |
 | Wade Munday (D) | 28.5 | 18,795 | |
| Total votes: 65,983 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 25
Wade Munday advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 25 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wade Munday | 100.0 | 9,078 |
| Total votes: 9,078 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 25
Incumbent Kerry Roberts advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 25 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry Roberts | 100.0 | 23,909 |
| Total votes: 23,909 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2014
- See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for 18 seats in the Tennessee State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 7, 2014. A general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 3, 2014. Tony Gross was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Kerry Roberts defeated incumbent Jim Summerville, Joshua Evans and Wayne White in the Republican primary. Roberts defeated Gross in the general election.[4][5]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Kerry Roberts |
70.4% | 29,337 | |
| Democratic | Tony Gross | 29.6% | 12,316 | |
| Total Votes | 41,653 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Kerry Roberts |
42.2% | 9,832 |
| Joshua G. Evans | 37.8% | 8,819 |
| Jim Summerville Incumbent | 15.9% | 3,701 |
| Wayne White | 4.2% | 968 |
| Total Votes | 23,320 | |
2012
Roberts did not seek re-election in 2012.[6]
2011
Roberts defeated Ken Wilber (D) in the March 8, 2011, special election.[7]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2022
Kerry Roberts did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2014
Roberts' campaign website highlighted the following issues:[8]
The Constitution: An Oath to Defend
- Excerpt: "The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. We must never let our courts be held hostage by international laws or treaties. As your representative, I will uphold and honor my oath to support and defend the Constitution."
Veterans: Supporting Those Who Defend Our Freedom
- Excerpt: "Today, many veterans struggle to find a job. We must look to veterans when jobs become available. We must also extend tax credits to businesses hiring veterans or providing job training for veterans."
Jobs: The Backbone of our Economy
- Excerpt: "Small businesses struggle to hire while under the burden of governmental regulations, taxes, licenses, and fees - especially in today′s economy. The solution is for government to make fewer demands on business. When a business is regulated at the local, state, and federal level, the redundancies are a needless expense."
- Excerpt: "We need to simplify and streamline. The money saved can be put into job creation, higher wages or benefits for existing workers, or cost savings for customers."
Pro-Life: Protecting the Life of the Unborn
- Excerpt: "I believe God has intent for each person, even before each person is formed. We must protect the life of the unborn in all situations."
Education: What´s Best for our Children
- Excerpt: "The federal Department of Education must end all educational mandates and requirements. Parents and local school boards - with assistance from the state board of education - are best-suited to decide what is best for children."
Health Care: Reform, Not Nationalization
- Excerpt: "Simply put, ObamaCare will bankrupt our economy. The federal government must not succeed in nationalizing health care nor mandating health care purchases by individuals or small businesses."
2011
Roberts' campaign Facebook site emphasized several policy positions and campaign themes:
- Jobs, Economy, & Education: "As a CPA, small business owner, and family man, my primary concerns are creating jobs, growing the economy, and improving our public education in Robertson and Sumner counties (all of my children are enrolled in public schools)...I know we can put folks back to work if the government leaves us alone and lets small business do what we do best: innovate, create, produce, and service."
- Spending: "Part of the problem is spending. By limiting taxes and borrowing, government will have to limit spending. It's no different than what hard-working Tennesseans have to do every day with their own finances... I am against any tax increases and have signed Americans' for Tax Reform pledge against any tax increases."
- Federalism: "The framers envisioned a limited federal government with much of the legislative work happening at the state and local level... Today, state governments are quickly becoming administrators of federal programs that are placing a crushing burden on state budgets that simply cannot afford more spending. It's time to push back."
- Conservative values: "I'm pro life, pro family, and fully support our right to keep and bear arms per the 2nd amendment. I'm also in favor of Arizona-style illegal immigration reform."
Campaign finance summary
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Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Tennessee scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 9 to April 25.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 10 to April 21.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 11 to April 28.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 5.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 14 to June 19.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly was in session January 8 through May 2.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the 110th Tennessee General Assembly, second session, was in session January 9 to April 27.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 110th Tennessee General Assembly, first session, was in session January 10 to May 10.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 109th Tennessee General Assembly, second year, was in session from January 12 through April 22
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 109th Tennessee General Assembly, first year, was in session from January 13 through April 22.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 108th Tennessee General Assembly, second year, was in session from January 14 to April 18.
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Tennessee State Senate District 23 |
Officeholder Tennessee State Senate District 23 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Tennessee Department of State - Elections, "List of 2012 Candidates," accessed July 5, 2012
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Kerry Roberts," accessed January 2, 2023
- ↑ Tennessee General Assembly, "Senator Kerry Roberts," accessed January 2, 2023
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "August 7, 2014 Election Results," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Petitions Filed for State Senate and State House of Representatives," accessed April 5, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Department of State - Elections, "List of 2012 Candidates," accessed July 5, 2012
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Special Election Results, Senate District 18," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ Friends Kerry Roberts, "On the Issues," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Bar Association, "Nashville Chamber Releases 2015 Legislative Scorecard," accessed November 10, 2015
- ↑ Tennessee Bar Association, "Nashville Chamber Releases 2015 Legislative Scorecard," accessed November 10, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jack Johnson (R) |
Tennessee State Senate District 23 2022-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee State Senate District 25 2014-2022 |
Succeeded by Ed Jackson (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee State Senate District 18 2011-2012 |
Succeeded by - |
