Kerry Roberts
Kerry Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 25th district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Summerville |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 24, 1961 Bedford, Indiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dianne Roberts |
| Children | 3 Children |
| Residence | The Beeches (Springfield, Tennessee) |
| Occupation | Certified Public Accountant |
| Website | Official website Senate website |
Kerry Roberts (born September 24, 1961) is a Republican member of the Tennessee Senate for the 25th District,[1] which includes Robertson County, Dickson County, Cheatham County, Humphreys County and Hickman County.[2]
In September 2019, Roberts made national news when he claimed that higher education should be abolished to limit the "liberal breeding ground." [3]
Early life
Born in Bedford, Indiana, Kerry graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1983.[4][4][5][5]
Biography
Roberts has been married to his wife, Dianne, since August 1987. They have three children, all of whom attended public schools. He is a member of the Church of Christ.[4] Roberts lives at a historic home known as The Beeches in Springfield, Tennessee, that dates back to the 1860s. Roberts is a business and farmer.
Work History
After graduation from Lipscomb University, Roberts worked for Touche Ross and Company (now Deloitte). In 1985, he started his own accounting practice which he successfully sold in 1990.
In 1990, Roberts opened a chain of bicycle retailers. Roberts also served as President and Chairman of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. He closed his stores as a result of losses incurred by the 2010 Tennessee floods.
Roberts now owns Resource Network LLC, a company that provides accounting, finance, and technology professionals on a temporary or contract basis.[6]
Politics
Roberts served on the Health, Government Operations, and Environment and Tourism Senate committees. He was Secretary of the Health Committee.
On September 2, 2019, Roberts called for the elimination of higher education, claiming that "it would cut off the 'liberal breeding ground'" and "save America".[7] He later blamed listeners for misinterpreting his comments, claiming that they were meant to be taken as talk-radio hyperbole.
Memberships and Professional Designations
Roberts was awarded his Certified Public Accountant license on July 18, 1986. He is a member of the Chambers of Commerce of Robertson County, Cheatham County, Dickson County, Hickman County, Humphreys County, and White House, Tennessee. He is also a member of the Robertson, Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, and Humphreys County Republican Parties, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Firearms Association, the National Rifle Association, and Tennessee Right to Life.[8]
2011 Campaign
Roberts won the Senate District 18 Republican Primary on January 20, 2011.[9]
Roberts won the Senate District 18 General Election on March 8, 2011.[10]
Roberts won the Senate District 25 Republican Primary on August 7, 2014.[11]
Roberts won the Senate District 25 General Election on November 4, 2014.[12]
2014 Campaign
Roberts announced his campaign for re-election to the Tennessee Senate on May 15, 2013.[13] On Roberts’ birthday, September 24, 2013, Representative Joshua Evans of Greenbrier, TN, announced that he was running against Roberts.[14] Other candidates include Tony Gross, Jim Summerville, and Wayne White.[15] Roberts won the August 7, 2014 Republican Primary with 42.16 percent of the vote in a highly-contest primary. Representative Joshua Evans (Greenbrier) came in second with 37.82 percent, followed by incumbent Senator Jim Summerville (Dickson) at 15.87 percent, and businessman Wayne White (Dickson) at 4.15 percent.[11] and then, in the November 4, 2014, general election, Roberts defeated Democratic Party nominee Tony Gross with 70.43 percent of the vote, compared to Gross' 29.57 percent.[12]
2018 Campaign
In 2018, Roberts ran for re-election to the Tennessee Senate. He was unopposed in the August 2, 2018, Republican primary, winning 100 percent of the vote. On November 6, he won re-election with 11,392 votes. He defeated Democrat Wade Munday who only had 4,757 votes.[16]
Senate District 25
Senate District 25 currently includes Robertson, Dickson, Cheatham, Humphreys and Hickman counties. [2]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b [2]
- ^ "It was a joke, says Tennessee senator who said colleges should be banned". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- ^ a b c Senate webpage
- ^ a b Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus
- ^ [3]
- ^ "Tennessee lawmaker calls for removal of higher education". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ a b [7]
- ^ a b [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ [10]
- ^ [11]
- ^ "Dickson Co. final election results: Lee, Blackburn, GOP dominate". The Tennessean. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.