Micheal R. Williams
Encyclopedia
Micheal R. Williams, born February 6, 1955 in Knoxville, Tennessee
, is a Tennessee
politician who formerly served in the Tennessee State Senate and was elected county mayor
of Union County in August 2010.
A resident of Maynardville
, in the Tennessee State Senate Williams represented the 4th district, which encompasses Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins
, Jefferson
, and Union counties.
He attended Lincoln Memorial University
and obtained a B.A.
in Health
and Physical Education
in 1985. He currently works in antique automobile
restoration.
Williams was first elected to the 97th General Assembly
as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
. He served as a state senator
since being elected to the 100th General Assembly as a member of the Republican Party
.
Williams was Speaker pro Tempore of the Tennessee Senate during the 104th General Assembly (2005–2006). During the 100th General Assembly, he was the Senate Republican Whip
, and he was the Senate Republican Assistant floor leader
during the 101st General Assembly. He serves on the Senate Finance
, Ways, and Means Committee, the Senate Commerce
, Labor, and Agriculture
Committee, and the Senate Rules Committee.
On March 14, 2007, he announced that he was leaving the Senate Republican Caucus and becoming an Independent
. This left the Senate evenly divided, with 16 Democrats, 16 Republicans, and one Independent. In explaining his move, Williams said: "Some in the[Republican] party are leading us down a path of bitterness and divisiveness and, in doing so, they have left me. I have not left them." Senate leaders from both parties said Williams' move would make little difference because, as Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle
stated, "Mike Williams has never been a guaranteed vote for anyone." Williams said he had not decided whether to seek re-election in 2008. The district he represents is generally regarded as strongly Republican, but Williams said he believes voters appreciate independence. "The largest voting bloc in the state of Tennessee is Independents," he said. "They're just not organized."
In the 2007-2008 edition of the Tennessee Blue Book
, Williams listed his party
affiliation as "Independent NASCAR
Fan." In 2008 he ran for re-election to the State Senate as an independent candidate, narrowly losing to Church Hill
attorney Mike Faulk
, a Republican, by a vote of 29,417 to 29,171.
Williams won election to the office of county mayor in Union County on August 5, 2010, receiving 52.2% of the vote and defeating incumbent Larry Lay.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, is a 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...
politician who formerly served in the Tennessee State Senate and was elected county mayor
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Union County in August 2010.
A resident of Maynardville
Maynardville, Tennessee
Maynardville is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 1,782 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, in the Tennessee State Senate Williams represented the 4th district, which encompasses Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins
Hawkins County, Tennessee
Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 56,833. Its county seat is Rogersville, Tennessee's second-oldest town....
, Jefferson
Jefferson County, Tennessee
*...
, and Union counties.
He attended Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
and obtained a B.A.
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 Health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
in 1985. He currently works in antique automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
restoration.
Williams was first elected to the 97th General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
as a 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:...
. He served as a state senator
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
since being elected to the 100th General Assembly as 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...
.
Williams was Speaker pro Tempore of the Tennessee Senate during the 104th General Assembly (2005–2006). During the 100th General Assembly, he was the Senate Republican Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, and he was the Senate Republican Assistant floor leader
Floor Leader
Floor Leaders are leaders of their political parties in each of the houses of the legislature.- Senate :In the United States Senate, they are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and...
during the 101st General Assembly. He serves on the Senate Finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, Ways, and Means Committee, the Senate Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, Labor, and Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
Committee, and the Senate Rules Committee.
On March 14, 2007, he announced that he was leaving the Senate Republican Caucus and becoming an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. This left the Senate evenly divided, with 16 Democrats, 16 Republicans, and one Independent. In explaining his move, Williams said: "Some in the
James F. Kyle, Jr.
James 'Jim' F. Kyle, Jr. is an American politician and a member of the Tennessee Senate for the 28th district, which is composed of part of Memphis...
stated, "Mike Williams has never been a guaranteed vote for anyone." Williams said he had not decided whether to seek re-election in 2008. The district he represents is generally regarded as strongly Republican, but Williams said he believes voters appreciate independence. "The largest voting bloc in the state of Tennessee is Independents," he said. "They're just not organized."
In the 2007-2008 edition of the Tennessee Blue Book
Tennessee Blue Book
The Tennessee Blue Book is an official government manual for the U.S. state of Tennessee, published by the Secretary of State of Tennessee.The Blue Book is typically published on a biennial basis...
, Williams listed his party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
affiliation as "Independent NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Fan." In 2008 he ran for re-election to the State Senate as an independent candidate, narrowly losing to Church Hill
Church Hill, Tennessee
Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...
attorney Mike Faulk
Mike Faulk
Mike Faulk is a Tennessee politician. In November 2008, he was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, defeating incumbent Micheal R. Williams by the narrow margin of 29,417 to 29,171. Mike is a Republican, representing Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, and Union counties. Before his...
, a Republican, by a vote of 29,417 to 29,171.
Williams won election to the office of county mayor in Union County on August 5, 2010, receiving 52.2% of the vote and defeating incumbent Larry Lay.