Ed Bryant
Encyclopedia
Edward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, (born September 7, 1948), American
politician, is a former Republican
member of the United States House of Representatives
from Tennessee
(1995–2003). Born in Jackson, Tennessee
, he earned his B.A.
in 1970 and J.D.
in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi
. As a student he was active in the Sigma Nu
fraternity. He later served in the United States Army
, teaching constitutional law
to cadets at West Point
among other duties. From 1991-1993, he served as the United States Attorney
for the Western District of Tennessee. On December 12, 2008, he was sworn in as a U.S. Magistrate Judge
for the Western District of Tennessee.
bid of conservative
televangelist Pat Robertson
. Earlier that year, Eighth District Congressman Ed Jones
decided not to run for reelection. Bryant won the Republican nomination for the district, a largely Democratic
area mostly in the northwestern part of the state. He lost in the general election
to Union City
attorney
and state representative John S. Tanner
. Bryant resumed the practice of law, having been appointed as United States Attorney
for the Western District of Tennessee by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. He later moved to Henderson
, near Jackson, located in the neighboring Seventh Congressional District.
did not run for re-election in 1994 (choosing instead to wage an ultimately successful campaign for governor), Bryant won the Republican primary
for the district. The 7th is as heavily Republican as the neighboring 8th is heavily Democratic — in fact, it is arguably the state's most Republican district outside of East Tennessee
. Under the circumstances, Bryant's victory in November was a foregone conclusion.
In his three subsequent re-elections, he never failed to receive under 60% of the vote. His only serious opposition — indeed, one of only three serious runs Democrats have made in this district since it fell into Republican hands in 1972 — came in his first reelection bid, when Clarksville
mayor
Don Trotter faced him. Bryant defeated him by over 30 points, and was completely unopposed in 1998.
Bryant established a solidly conservative
record and was a darling of both business-oriented groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business
and social conservative groups such as the American Conservative Union
, the National Rifle Association
, and National Right-to-Life. He was best known as one of the "House managers" (prosecutors) in the impeachment
trial of President Bill Clinton
. Bryant was regarded by many as one of the less strident and pompous and more personable managers. This is supposedly why Monica Lewinsky
chose Bryant to be the manager to interview her about the case.
after Republican Fred Thompson announced that he was changing his mind from an earlier announcement and would not be seeking re-election. The circumstances resulted in his piecing together a hurried, underfinanced campaign. Bryant was opposed by former governor of Tennessee, U.S. Secretary of Education, and two-time presidential
candidate Lamar Alexander
for the Republican nomination. Alexander had both greater statewide name recognition and greater financial resources, even though he hadn't appeared on a ballot in Tennessee in 20 years. Despite this, Bryant held Alexander to 55% of the primary vote while garnering 44%. Additionally, Bryant made a good impression on many Republican activists in the state, especially with his willingness to make appearances on the Republican ticket's behalf during the fall campaign after his own defeat.
briefly, but has since returned to West Tennessee
. Bryant sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat then-held by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who did not seek re-election in 2006.
Bryant faced two other major Republicans in the primary on August 3, 2006:
In an interview with John Gibson
of Fox News Bryant stated that he did not believe Harold Ford Jr. should be considered a serious candidate for the senate because of Ford's young age (36).
On August 3, 2006, at 10:50 p.m., Ed Bryant conceded the GOP primary election to Bob Corker
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, is a former Republican
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...
member of the United States House of Representatives
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...
from 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...
(1995–2003). Born in Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, he earned his B.A.
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...
in 1970 and J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. As a student he was active in the Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity. He later served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, teaching constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
to cadets at West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
among other duties. From 1991-1993, he served as the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Tennessee. On December 12, 2008, he was sworn in as a U.S. Magistrate Judge
United States magistrate judge
In the United States federal courts, magistrate judges are appointed to assist United States district court judges in the performance of their duties...
for the Western District of Tennessee.
Entrance into politics
Bryant first became politically active in a high-profile way in 1988 when he served as an early organizer for the abortive presidentialPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
bid of conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
televangelist Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
. Earlier that year, Eighth District Congressman Ed Jones
Ed Jones (US politician)
Edward "Ed" Jones was a Democratic Congressman from the state of Tennessee from 1969 to 1989.-Biography:...
decided not to run for reelection. Bryant won the Republican nomination for the district, a largely Democratic
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...
area mostly in the northwestern part of the state. He lost in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
to Union City
Union City, Tennessee
Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and state representative John S. Tanner
John S. Tanner
John S. Tanner is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Tanner was born in Halls, Tennessee, and grew up in Union City, Tennessee...
. Bryant resumed the practice of law, having been appointed as United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Tennessee by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. He later moved to Henderson
Henderson, Tennessee
Henderson is an incorporated city in Chester County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,670 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Chester County...
, near Jackson, located in the neighboring Seventh Congressional District.
U.S. House of Representatives
When Seventh District Congressman Don SundquistDon Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
did not run for re-election in 1994 (choosing instead to wage an ultimately successful campaign for governor), Bryant won the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the district. The 7th is as heavily Republican as the neighboring 8th is heavily Democratic — in fact, it is arguably the state's most Republican district outside of East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. Under the circumstances, Bryant's victory in November was a foregone conclusion.
In his three subsequent re-elections, he never failed to receive under 60% of the vote. His only serious opposition — indeed, one of only three serious runs Democrats have made in this district since it fell into Republican hands in 1972 — came in his first reelection bid, when Clarksville
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Don Trotter faced him. Bryant defeated him by over 30 points, and was completely unopposed in 1998.
Bryant established a solidly conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
record and was a darling of both business-oriented groups such as 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...
and social conservative groups such as the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, and National Right-to-Life. He was best known as one of the "House managers" (prosecutors) in the impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
trial of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Bryant was regarded by many as one of the less strident and pompous and more personable managers. This is supposedly why Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
chose Bryant to be the manager to interview her about the case.
2002 U.S. Senate election
In 2002 Bryant entered the Republican primary for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
after Republican Fred Thompson announced that he was changing his mind from an earlier announcement and would not be seeking re-election. The circumstances resulted in his piecing together a hurried, underfinanced campaign. Bryant was opposed by former governor of Tennessee, U.S. Secretary of Education, and two-time presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidate Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
for the Republican nomination. Alexander had both greater statewide name recognition and greater financial resources, even though he hadn't appeared on a ballot in Tennessee in 20 years. Despite this, Bryant held Alexander to 55% of the primary vote while garnering 44%. Additionally, Bryant made a good impression on many Republican activists in the state, especially with his willingness to make appearances on the Republican ticket's behalf during the fall campaign after his own defeat.
2006 U.S. Senate election
After Bryant's defeat in 2002, he moved to NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
briefly, but has since returned to West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
. Bryant sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat then-held by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who did not seek re-election in 2006.
Bryant faced two other major Republicans in the primary on August 3, 2006:
- Bob CorkerBob CorkerRobert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
— Former mayor of ChattanoogaChattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and 1994 Senate candidate. - Van HillearyVan HillearyWilliam Vanderpool Hilleary, usually known as Van Hilleary is a Republican politician from Tennessee.-Early life and career:...
— Former United States Representative and 2002 gubernatorial nominee.
In an interview with John Gibson
John Gibson (media host)
John David Gibson is an American radio talk show host. As of September 2008, he hosts the syndicated radio program The John Gibson Show on Fox News Radio. Gibson was formerly the co-host of the weekday edition of The Big Story on the Fox News television channel.-Early career:Gibson earned a BA...
of Fox News Bryant stated that he did not believe Harold Ford Jr. should be considered a serious candidate for the senate because of Ford's young age (36).
On August 3, 2006, at 10:50 p.m., Ed Bryant conceded the GOP primary election to Bob Corker
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
.