{"county":null,"description":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","district":"044","districtgroup":"state_house","id":274,"key":"state_house_044","lastchangeby":null,"name":null,"next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":"tn_house","partisan":1,"party":null,"qualities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"tn","term_end":null,"term_start":null,"term_years":2,"terms":[{"current":0,"description":"","electiondate":"2022-11-08","name":"William Lamberth","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nWilliam Lamberth is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 44 [1]. He assumed office on January 8, 2013, and currently serves as the House majority leader, a position he has held since 2019 [3]. His current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nLamberth is seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 44 in the upcoming 2026 cycle [1]. He is listed as a candidate on the ballot for the Republican primary election, which is scheduled to take place on August 6, 2026 [1]. As of May 2026, the outcome of this primary election has not yet been determined.\n\n## Background and education\n\nWilliam Gary Lamberth was born on December 5, 1977, in Bowling Green, Kentucky [3][9]. He self-describes as having been raised on a farm in Sumner County, Tennessee, where his family operated tobacco farms and cultivated row crops [10]. This upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic, with parents who emphasized purposeful action and delegated responsibilities beyond typical expectations for his age [10]. Lamberth attended Portland High School in Portland, Tennessee [10].\n\nLamberth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville [3][5]. He subsequently received his Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary [3][5].\n\n## Career\n\nWilliam Lamberth was raised on a farm in Sumner County, Tennessee, where his family operated tobacco farms and cultivated row crops [10]. He self-describes this upbringing as instilling in him a strong work ethic and a sense of duty, noting that his parents delegated responsibilities to him beyond typical expectations for his age [4][10]. Lamberth attended Portland High School in Portland, Tennessee [10].\n\nHe earned a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary [3][5]. Following his education, he worked as an attorney and served as faculty at the Tennessee Bar Association [5]. Outside of his professional and political life, Lamberth maintains a personal zoo in Sumner County that includes chickens, peacocks, a duck, rabbits, and a dog [13].\n\n## Office history\n\nWilliam Lamberth was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2012, representing District 44, and assumed office on January 8, 2013 [1][3]. He succeeded Mike McDonald in the seat [3]. As a member of the Tennessee House, he serves two-year terms without term limits [2]. The district encompasses portions of Sumner County, including Hendersonville, Gallatin, Portland, Westmoreland, and New Deal [5].\n\nIn 2016, Lamberth won re-election for District 44, defeating Democrat Lloyd Dunn with 76.1% of the vote [14]. He has since been elected to multiple subsequent terms, with his current term ending on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nLamberth began serving as House Majority Leader in 2018, assuming the role officially on January 8, 2019, after being preceded by Glen Casada [1][3]. In this leadership capacity, he serves as a key figure in the Tennessee House Republican Caucus [7].\n\nDuring the 2023-2024 legislative session, Lamberth held committee assignments including the Calendar and Rules Committee, the Civil Justice Committee, the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, the Government Operations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Select Committee on Rules [1][7].\n\nLamberth is currently running for re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nWilliam Lamberth has served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 44 since January 8, 2013 [1][3]. He assumed the role of House Majority Leader in 2018, succeeding Glen Casada [1][3]. In this leadership capacity, he helped shepherd legislation such as SB 16/HB 1, the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act, and SB 1297/HB 1151, which addressed indecent exposure laws in single-sex restrooms [8]. Lamberth also played a key role in passing SB 1499/HB 1274, known as the School Protection Act, and SB 2196/HB 2263, referred to as Governor Lee's Pro-Life Bill [8].\n\nLamberth\u2019s committee assignments include service on the Calendar and Rules Committee, the Civil Justice Committee, the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, the Government Operations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Select Committee on Rules [1][7]. His legislative record includes support for SB 364/HB 563, the Business Protection Act, and SB 1257/HB 1029, the Human Life Protection Act [8]. He also supported SB 1304/HB 836, which provided conscience provisions for child-placing agencies, and SB 1373/HB 307, allowing elective religious courses for credit [8].\n\nIn recent legislative sessions, Lamberth co-sponsored legislation with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson requiring new citizenship vetting for voters if a federal national database becomes available [11]. He also supported SB 1736/HB 1689 regarding single-sex student athletics and SB 2465/HB 2568, which mandated chemical abortion reversal information [8]. Additionally, he backed HJR 17, acknowledging God as the source of liberties [8]. Lamberth\u2019s voting record has earned him a perfect score from the Family Action Council of Tennessee in recent assessments [8].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nWilliam Lamberth\u2019s professional background includes work as a lawyer and faculty member at the Tennessee Bar Association\u2019s College of Legal Education [3][5]. He is an attorney who earned his Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary after receiving a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee [3][5].\n\nLamberth describes growing up on a farm in Sumner County, Tennessee, where family members operated tobacco farms and cultivated row crops [4][10]. He states that this agricultural upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic and a belief in self-reliance, noting that his parents taught him that \"if you don't do the work, the bills don't get paid\" [4].\n\nOutside of his legislative duties, Lamberth owns and operates a private zoo on his property in Sumner County [13]. He has stated that he keeps approximately 50 chickens, four peacocks, a duck, and four rabbits at his home [13]. While public financial disclosure reports are tracked by LegiStorm, specific details regarding the value of his business interests or wealth sources are not detailed in the provided source material [6][12].\n\n## Family\n\nWilliam Lamberth is married to Lauren Lamberth and they have two children [3]. He was raised on a farm in Sumner County, Tennessee, where his family operated tobacco farms and cultivated row crops [10].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [William Lamberth - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/William_Lamberth)\n[2] [Tennessee House of Representatives District 44 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_House_of_Representatives_District_44)\n[3] [William Lamberth - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamberth)\n[4] [William Lamberth for State Representative District 44](https://votelamberth.com/)\n[5] [Faculty Profile: william lamberth II](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/22388)\n[6] [Tennessee State Rep. William Lamberth - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/242949/William_Gary_Lamberth.html)\n[7] [Leader William Lamberth \u2014 Tennessee House Republican Caucus](https://tnhousegop.org/members/leader-william-lamberth/)\n[8] [Rep. William Lamberth - Family Action Council of Tennessee](https://scorecard.factennessee.org/representatives/william-lamberth)\n[9] [William Lamberth - Representative from Tennessee](https://sengov.com/states/tennessee/william-lamberth/)\n[10] [William Lamberth \u2014 Grokipedia](https://grokipedia.com/page/William_Lamberth)\n[11] [House Majority Leader William Lamberth Archives \u2022 Tennessee Lookout](https://tennesseelookout.com/tag/house-majority-leader-william-lamberth/)\n[12] [Tennessee State Rep. William Lamberth - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/242949/William_G_Lamberth.html)\n[13] [GOP quarterback, zookeeper, Tennessee House majority leader: Who is William Lamberth? | WPLN News](https://wpln.org/post/gop-quarterback-zookeeper-tennessee-house-majority-leader-who-is-william-lamberth/)\n[14] [Tennessee 44th District State House Results: William Lamberth Wins](https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/tennessee-state-house-district-44)","firstname":"William","lastname":"Lamberth","token":"zgs9vREqJL"},"term_end":"2024-12-31","term_start":"2023-01-01"}],"title":"State Representative District 44","type":"legislative","url":"https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=H44","whenchanged":"2026-06-19 17:40:13"}