Beth Harwell
Encyclopedia
Beth Halteman Harwell is the current Speaker of the House in the Tennessee House of Representatives
. She serves as Tennessee
State Representative from Nashville and former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party
from 2001 through 2004. A longtime member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
since 1988, Harwell was a ranking Republican in the House (former Minority Whip) and Commerce Committee chairwoman, and is one of the female stars of the Republican Party in Tennessee. She is the first woman to serve as Tennessee's Speaker of the House.
In 1978 Harwell received her bachelor of arts
from Lipscomb University
. She received a Ph.D.
from Vanderbilt University
. She is married to Samuel Harwell. The couple has three children: Allie, Sam, and Tucker Harwell.
Harwell received the Small Business award from the National Federation of Independent Business
.
Harwell explored a run for the 2006 U.S. Senate race; however she finally decided not seeking that seat. In May 2007 Harwell said that she was considering to run in the 2010 state gubernatorial election.
In 2008, Harwell was the Co-Chair in the Tennessee for John McCain
presidential campaign., who won the State electoral votes in the 2008 presidential election
on November 3, getting 56.9% of the popular vote against President-elect Barack Obama
. During the elections, the Republican Party gained control of both the Tennessee Senate and House for the first time since Reconstruction. In January 2009, Harwell was named chairwoman of the Commerce Committee.
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
. She serves as Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
State Representative from Nashville and former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party
Tennessee Republican Party
The Tennessee Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Tennessee. It is often called the Tennessee Grand Old Party or the TN GOP.-Leadership and staff:...
from 2001 through 2004. A longtime member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
since 1988, Harwell was a ranking Republican in the House (former Minority Whip) and Commerce Committee chairwoman, and is one of the female stars of the Republican Party in Tennessee. She is the first woman to serve as Tennessee's Speaker of the House.
In 1978 Harwell received her bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on the east...
. She received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. She is married to Samuel Harwell. The couple has three children: Allie, Sam, and Tucker Harwell.
Harwell received the Small Business award from the National Federation of Independent Business
National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business is a lobbying organization with its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and offices in Washington, D.C. USA, and in all 50 state capitals...
.
Harwell explored a run for the 2006 U.S. Senate race; however she finally decided not seeking that seat. In May 2007 Harwell said that she was considering to run in the 2010 state gubernatorial election.
In 2008, Harwell was the Co-Chair in the Tennessee for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
presidential campaign., who won the State electoral votes in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
on November 3, getting 56.9% of the popular vote against President-elect Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. During the elections, the Republican Party gained control of both the Tennessee Senate and House for the first time since Reconstruction. In January 2009, Harwell was named chairwoman of the Commerce Committee.
External links
- Beth Harwell's profile at the Tennessee General Assembly website
- Representative Beth Harwell at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Rep. Beth Harwell at Friedman Foundation
- Political News and Views in Tennessee at Nashville Post