State Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, left, is hugged by Rep. Sherry Jones, D-Nashville, after Harwell was elected House speaker on Tuesday in Nashville. Harwell is the first female House speaker in Tennessee history. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE -- State Rep. Beth Harwell was unanimously elected the first female House speaker in Tennessee history on Tuesday as the 107th General Assembly convened its annual session.
The chamber's 64 Republicans were joined by all 33 Democrats and one independent -- current House Speaker Kent Williams -- to make Harwell, a 53-year-old former state Republican Party chairwoman and former political science professor, the most powerful woman in state government.
In the Senate, Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, easily won re-election to a third term in the top post, defeating Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Nashville, in a 20-13 party-line vote.
Republicans in November increased their numbers from 50 to 64 in the House and from 19 to 20 in the 33-member Senate. It is the first time that Republicans have controlled both chambers since Aug. 5, 1869.
In the House, Republicans cheered, yelled and whistled after Harwell was elected and took her oath of office.
Harwell told her colleagues of her support for states' rights and reminded them that their power comes from God and is fleeting in nature.
"We are not kings and queens. We are servants," she said. "This is the people's House, and Tennesseans expect us to represent them well and serve them honorably."
Harwell said voters "sent us a very clear message" in the November elections about their frustration with "out of control" spending in Washington, D.C. They do not want the same thing to happen in Tennessee government.
"They expect us to exercise fiscal restraint and make the necessary cuts to balance our budget without raising taxes and that's just what we will do," she said to more cheers.
Comparing the Tennessee General Assembly to Congress, she said "the bickering and the stalemate that exists in Congress are not acceptable. ... Over the years, I have observed this body set aside partisanship and regional differences to do the right thing for Tennessee because this body is made of statesmen."
She made only a passing reference to being the first female speaker but later told reporters that she wouldn't mind being a role model for girls.
Among those voting for Harwell was Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga, who has expressed concerns about the GOP takeover of the House. But she said she had no reservations about voting for Harwell.
It was with "a sense of pride and a sense of dignity as I ... cast the vote on the floor of the House for the first woman in the history of the state of Tennessee as speaker of the House," Brown said. "For me that is a historical moment. And I don't care what your politics are."
In 2008 elections, House Republicans won a 50-49 majority over Democrats. But the GOP saw its chance to seize power dashed when all 49 Democrats backed Rep. Kent Williams, R-Elizabethton, for speaker. Williams voted for himself.
The state Republican Party later cast Williams from party.
"I enjoyed today," Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga, said Tuesday. "I was nervous about two years ago."
Williams himself supported Harwell.
"It's a new day. It's a beautiful day," he said. "We'll roll up our sleeves. We'll continue to do the things we've been doing and Tennessee will grow and prosper."
He said House members could "hold their heads high" for their achievements during his two-year reign, noting they had balanced the state's budget.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.