London Lamar

Current office and 2026 campaign

London Lamar is a Democratic member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 33 ¹. She assumed office on March 3, 2022, after being appointed by the Shelby County Commission to fill the vacancy left by expelled Senator Katrina Robinson ³. Her current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 ¹.

Lamar is seeking re-election to the Tennessee State Senate for District 33 as a Democrat ¹. She is listed on the ballot for the Democratic primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

Background and education

London Lamar was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 29, 1990 ²¹¹. She self-describes as a third-generation resident of Tennessee’s 33rd District ⁹.

Lamar graduated from Central "The" High School in Memphis in 2009, where she finished at the top of her class ⁹. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Sociology and Intercultural Studies from Saint Mary's College in May 2013 ²⁹.

Career

London Lamar graduated from Central High School in Memphis in 2009, where she finished at the top of her class ⁹. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Sociology and Intercultural Studies from Saint Mary's College in May 2013 ⁹.

Prior to her legislative career, Lamar served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 91 from November 6, 2018, until March 8, 2022 ². She resigned from the House to accept an appointment to the Tennessee State Senate ¹. In March 2022, the Shelby County Commission voted 9-4 to select Lamar as the interim senator for District 33, filling the vacancy left by expelled Senator Katrina Robinson ⁴⁶. This appointment required her to vacate her House seat immediately ⁶.

Lamar later won election to complete the remainder of the Senate term and has continued to serve in that role ². As of 2026, she is on the ballot for re-election to the Tennessee State Senate in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

Office history

London Lamar served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from November 6, 2018, to March 8, 2022, representing District 91 ²¹³. She was elected to this seat in 2018, succeeding Raumesh Akbari ². During her tenure in the House, she advocated for voter registration and other legislative priorities ⁵.

In March 2022, Lamar was appointed by the Shelby County Commission as Interim Senator for Tennessee State Senate District 33 to fill the vacancy left by expelled Senator Katrina Robinson ³⁴⁶¹². The commission selected her in a 9-4 vote after interviewing multiple candidates ⁴¹². She resigned from the House of Representatives upon assuming this appointed role, which began on March 3, 2022 ¹². As interim senator, she served until the conclusion of the term in November 2022 ⁶.

Lamar was subsequently elected to Tennessee State Senate District 33 in the 2022 general election, succeeding Katrina Robinson ¹². She assumed office on March 8, 2022, following her appointment, and her current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 ¹². In this role, she serves as Chair of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus and sits on the Judiciary Committee and the Finance, Ways and Means Committee ⁸. She self-describes as the youngest woman and youngest African American to serve in the Tennessee State Senate history ⁸¹⁰.

Lamar is currently running for re-election to the Tennessee State Senate to represent District 33 ¹. She is on the ballot for the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹. The outcome of this upcoming election has not yet occurred as of May 11, 2026.

Legislative record and accomplishments

London Lamar serves on the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee and the Finance, Ways and Means Committee ⁸. She also holds a position on the Joint Ways and Means Committee ⁸. In the chamber, she currently serves as Chair of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus ⁸.

During her tenure in the General Assembly, Lamar has sponsored legislation advancing maternal health, human trafficking prevention, criminal justice reform, and voting rights ¹⁰. Prior to her appointment to the Senate, she served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022, where she advocated for voter registration initiatives in Shelby County ⁵.

Lamar’s legislative career began after she was appointed by the Shelby County Commission in March 2022 to fill the vacancy in State Senate District 33 left by expelled Senator Katrina Robinson ³⁴⁶. She resigned from her House seat to assume the Senate role, making history as the youngest woman and youngest African American to serve in the Tennessee State Senate at that time ²⁸.

Documented disputes and controversies

London Lamar’s entry into the Tennessee Senate was precipitated by the expulsion of her predecessor, Katrina Robinson, who was removed from office in February 2022 following a federal fraud conviction and a recommendation by the Senate Ethics Committee ³. Following Robinson's ejection, the Shelby County Commission held a special called meeting that lasted over three hours and involved eight rounds of voting before selecting Lamar to fill the vacancy ³¹². The commission interviewed six candidates before voting 9-4 in favor of Lamar, who resigned from her seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives to assume the interim Senate role ⁴⁶.

During her appointment process and early tenure, Lamar faced a legislative environment marked by the ethical violations that led to Robinson's expulsion. The Senate Ethics Committee had previously determined that Robinson violated the Senate's code of ethics, leading to her removal before Lamar took office in March 2022 ³. Lamar has not been cited as a subject of similar ethics complaints or legal actions in the provided sources; instead, her public record during this period focused on addressing community concerns such as gun violence and youth crime through initiatives like the "Root Cause of Youth Crime" symposium at LeMoyne-Owen College ⁷.

No other documented disputes, feuds with named officials, or withdrawn endorsements are recorded in the provided sources for London Lamar. The available documentation focuses on her legislative service, appointment history, and policy advocacy regarding maternal health, human trafficking, and voting rights ⁸¹⁰.

Family

London Lamar self-describes as a third-generation resident of Tennessee’s 33rd District ⁹. She states that she is committed to serving families and communities within the region ¹⁰.

The provided sources do not contain publicly notable information regarding her spouse, children, or other family members in politics.

Sources