MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee state representative has been appointed to temporarily replace a Democratic lawmaker who was ousted from her position by the Republican-led state Senate because of a federal wire fraud conviction.
The Shelby County Commission in Memphis chose state Rep. London Lamar to fill the state Senate seat formerly held by Katrina Robinson during an hours-long meeting Thursday that featured several votes.
Robinson was ousted from her position by fellow senators during a Feb. 2 session. Lamar will step down from her House seat and serve on an interim basis in the Senate until the Nov. 8 election. Commissioners will select a replacement for Lamar’s House seat at a later date.
Lamar, who is a Democrat like Robinson, has represented a Memphis district in the state House since 2018. Both Robinson and Lamar are Black women, and Senate District 33 is majority Black.
“It has been my life’s joy to serve as State Representative,” Lamar said on Twitter. She added: “I look forward to continuing the work.”