Diane Black
Encyclopedia
Diane Lynn Black is the U.S. Representative
for . The district includes several suburban and rural areas east of Nashville. She is a member of the Republican Party
. She is formerly a member of the Tennessee Senate
for the 18th district, which encompasses Robertson County and part of Sumner County
. She was floor leader of the State Senate Republican Caucus.
in Arnold, Maryland
with an associate's degree
in nursing
in 1971. She graduated from Belmont University
with a bachelor's degree
in nursing in 1991 and worked as a Registered Nurse
. Later she has also served as an educator at Volunteer State Community College
. She lives with her husband Dave in Gallatin, Tennessee
, a suburb of Nashville. Her net worth is almost $29 million because of her husband's stake in Aegis Sciences Corp.
in 2004, she had previously served as a state representative
for six years from 1998. Black was the Assistant Floor Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, a member of the Senate Government Operations Committee, and the Vice-Chair of the Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources Committee. She was elected the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus
Chairman in 2006.
as a black frame with only eyeballs visible. The email was denounced as blatant racism. Senator Black's response of reprimanding her employee, Goforth, gained national attention and condemnation. Black opted only to reprimand Goforth, a response which drew heated criticism from local and national blogs, as well as Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Chip Forrester, who called on Black to denounce the email and fire the staffer. Black did denounce the email, said the email did not reflect her views and stated her reprimand was in following with human resources' policy for email guideline violations.
to succeed Bart Gordon
, who was not running for reelection. Her biggest competitions in the Republican primary came from former Rutherford County
GOP chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik
and State Senator Jim Tracy
. On August 5th, 2010, Diane narrowly won the Republican primary with 31% of the vote, over Zelenik and Tracy, who earned 30% each. Brett Carter
was nominated by the Democrats
after well-known elected officials declined the candidacy, which resulted in CQ Politics rating this race as "Safe Republican".
In the November election, Black won handily, taking 67 percent of the vote. However, this was not considered an upset. The 6th had been trending Republican for some time as Nashville's eastern suburbs bled into the district. National Democrats had all but written off the seat as a Republican pickup after no well-known local Democrats expressed interest.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for . The district includes several suburban and rural areas east of Nashville. She is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. She is formerly a member of the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
for the 18th district, which encompasses Robertson County and part of Sumner County
Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
. She was floor leader of the State Senate Republican Caucus.
Early life, education, and nursing career
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Black graduated from Andover High School 1969 Linthicum, Md Anne Arundel Community CollegeAnne Arundel Community College
Anne Arundel Community College, founded in 1961, is located in Arnold, Maryland. The college was named "Community College of the Year" by National Business Alliance in 2000. AACC has also received many other in recent years...
in Arnold, Maryland
Arnold, Maryland
Arnold is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 23,422 at the 2000 census. Neighborhoods straddle College Parkway and Ritchie Highway. Arnold is located on the scenic Broadneck peninsula...
with an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
in 1971. She graduated from Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in nursing in 1991 and worked as a Registered Nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
. Later she has also served as an educator at Volunteer State Community College
Volunteer State Community College
Volunteer State Community College is a publicly-supported two-year community college located in Gallatin, Tennessee and operated under the auspices of the Tennessee Board of Regents....
. She lives with her husband Dave in Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, a suburb of Nashville. Her net worth is almost $29 million because of her husband's stake in Aegis Sciences Corp.
Tennessee legislature
Before becoming a state senatorTennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
in 2004, she had previously served as a state representative
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:...
for six years from 1998. Black was the Assistant Floor Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, a member of the Senate Government Operations Committee, and the Vice-Chair of the Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources Committee. She was elected the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
Chairman in 2006.
Aide's email controversy
In May 2009, Sherri Goforth, a legislative aide in Black's office, circulated a racially charged email depicting a collection of portraits of United States Presidents showing current President Barack ObamaBarack 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...
as a black frame with only eyeballs visible. The email was denounced as blatant racism. Senator Black's response of reprimanding her employee, Goforth, gained national attention and condemnation. Black opted only to reprimand Goforth, a response which drew heated criticism from local and national blogs, as well as Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Chip Forrester, who called on Black to denounce the email and fire the staffer. Black did denounce the email, said the email did not reflect her views and stated her reprimand was in following with human resources' policy for email guideline violations.
2010 election
In December, 2009, she became a candidate for Tennessee's 6th congressional districtTennessee's 6th congressional district
The 6th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. It currently includes all of Bedford, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Marshall, Overton, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, and Trousdale Counties, as well as a portion of Wilson County...
to succeed Bart Gordon
Bart Gordon
Barton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
, who was not running for reelection. Her biggest competitions in the Republican primary came from former Rutherford County
Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat is Murfreesboro, which is also the geographic...
GOP chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik
Lou Ann Zelenik
Lou Ann Zelenik is a Tennessee businesswoman and 2010 Republican Party candidate for the U.S. Congress in Tennessee's 6th congressional district. She has one daughter, Kerri.-Early life, education and career:...
and State Senator Jim Tracy
Jim Tracy (politician)
Jim Tracy is an American politician and a member of the Tennessee Senate for the 16th district, which is composed of Bedford County, Moore County, and part of Rutherford County...
. On August 5th, 2010, Diane narrowly won the Republican primary with 31% of the vote, over Zelenik and Tracy, who earned 30% each. Brett Carter
Brett Carter
Brett Carter was the 2010 Democratic nominee for the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee's 6th congressional district. He is currently a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis in Nashville, Tennessee, where he practices tax law...
was nominated by the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
after well-known elected officials declined the candidacy, which resulted in CQ Politics rating this race as "Safe Republican".
In the November election, Black won handily, taking 67 percent of the vote. However, this was not considered an upset. The 6th had been trending Republican for some time as Nashville's eastern suburbs bled into the district. National Democrats had all but written off the seat as a Republican pickup after no well-known local Democrats expressed interest.
Committee assignments
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States House Committee on the BudgetThe U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
- Subcommittee on Human Resources
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Diane Black official U.S. House site
- Diane Black for Congress official campaign site