Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn (born June 6, 1952) is the
U.S. RepresentativeThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2003. She is a member of the
Republican PartyThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The district stretches from the suburbs of
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to the suburbs of
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Early life, education and career
Born Marsha Wedgeworth in
Laurel, MississippiLaurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
, Blackburn attended Northeast Jones High School and graduated from
Mississippi State UniversityThe Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
where she joined
Chi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, and where she also spent a few summers working with the
Southwestern CompanySouthwestern Company recruits and trains college students to sell educational reference books, software, and children's books door-to-door. Students participating in the Southwestern program are independent contractors, not employees of the company, purchasing books at wholesale from the company...
. She owned and operated a marketing company in Williamson County Tennessee.
Early political career
Blackburn began her political career in 1977 as a founding member of the
Williamson CountyWilliamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
Young Republicans. She served as chairwoman of the Williamson County Republican Party from 1989 to 1991. Her elective political career began in 1992, when she won the Republican nomination for the 6th District, which at the time included her home in Brentwood. She lost by 16 percentage points to longtime congressman
Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
. In 1995, she was appointed chairwoman of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission. She won elective office for the first time in 1998, when she was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, representing Williamson County and a sliver of
Davidson CountyDavidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
. She led efforts to prevent the passage of a state
income taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
championed by Governor
Don SundquistDonald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
(Vice Chair - Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade)
Party leadership
- Deputy Whip
- Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
(former Communications Chair)
- National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
(Communications Chair)
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Songwriters Caucus (Co-Founder/Co-Chair)
- Reliable Energy Caucus
- International Conservation Caucus
The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
Blackburn is a fiscal and social conservative. She was defeated in November 2007 for the position of Republican Conference chairman. Some had speculated she would run for
Bill FristWilliam Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
's
U.S. SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat in 2006; however, she chose to run for a third House term. Unlike most female Representatives, she prefers to be called "Congressman Blackburn." She was also mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2010.
Congresswoman Blackburn initially backed former
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's
presidential campaignMitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
, joining his campaign as a senior advisor. On May 25, 2007, Blackburn resigned her position in the Romney campaign and endorsed former Senator Fred Thompson for President.
Since 2007, Blackburn has not made a special spending request in federal budget
earmarksIn United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
.
Blackburn is a vocal opponent of President Obama's Health Care Reform Legislation, which she characterizes as "a government run, government ensured, government financed, government delivered healthcare system". When pressed by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on opponents of Health Care Reform's claim that the legislation includes "
death panel"Death panel", , is a term that originated during a 2009 political debate regarding health care reform in the United States. The death panel claim portrayed the health care bills then pending before the U.S. Congress as encouraging euthanasia for the elderly and as rationing health care for the...
s" for the elderly, Blackburn equivocated and would not reject this assertion although nonpartisan FactCheck.org considers it incorrect.
According to her campaign website, Blackburn has received the following honors:
- National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
described Blackburn as a "freshman to watch" and a "top House conservative" in 2003 and 2004.
- Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
called Blackburn a "taxpayer hero" in 2003.
- The Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
gave Blackburn the "true blue" award for the first half of the 108th Congress.
- National Right to Life
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
praised Blackburn for supporting the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act.
Blackburn served as an assistant whip in the 108th and 109th Congress, and served as a deputy whip for the 110th and 111th Congress. During the 110th Congress she was the Communications Chairman for the
Republican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
. She is also serving as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee for third consecutive term.
In 2008 Blackburn won her GOP primary race by gaining 62 percent of the vote against
Shelby CountyShelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
register of deeds, and former fellow state senator, moderate Republican Tom Leatherwood.
Blackburn scored 100% on
American Conservative UnionThe American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
’s 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 Ratings of Congress.
According to the 2009 annual vote studies by
Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, Blackburn is one of the most partisan Republican members of the House. According to
National JournalNational Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, she was ranked as the 7th most conservative in the House. These rankings show Blackburn coming in behind a group of men who, in a six-way tie for the most conservative, all voted the same way on every politically charged issue for the year. For that reason it could be argued that Blackburn's voting record is the second most conservative in the House of Representatives.
In 2008, Congresswoman Blackburn was named one of CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress by government watchdog group
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
.
In April 2009, Blackburn questioned former Vice President
Al GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
during an energy-related congressional hearing.
The IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, a London-based periodical, has credited her for "famously put[ting Gore] on the spot about his business interests in the [energy] industry" during this confrontation. Citing the concerns of her district constituents, Blackburn's question to Gore was simply: "The legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?”. Blackburn was taken aback when Gore vociferously refuted the implied accusation, pointing out that every penny he makes from renewable technology investment goes to a non-profit. The non-profit to which he refers is The Alliance for Climate Protection and was founded in 2006 by Al Gore.
Political campaigns
Redistricting after the 2000 Census moved Blackburn's home from the 6th District into the 7th District. The 6th District incumbent Congressman, Democrat
Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
, had faced three tough races in the 1990s (including a near-defeat in 1994) seemingly due to the 6th's inclusion of Williamson County, the wealthiest county in the state and the most Republican county in Middle Tennessee. It appears that the Democratic-controlled Tennessee General Assembly wanted to protect Gordon by moving Williamson County into the already heavily Republican 7th District. To maintain approximately equal district sizes (as required by
Wesberry v. Sanders – 1964Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1 was a U.S. Supreme Court case involving U.S. Congressional districts in the state of Georgia. The Court issued its ruling on February 17, 1964. This decision requires each state to draw its U.S...
) and to compensate for the increase in 7th District population by the addition of Williamson County, the General Assembly shifted some of the more Democratic parts of
ClarksvilleClarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
to the nearby 8th District. As a result, Tennessee's 7th District is 200 miles long but only two miles wide in some parts.
In 2002, 7th District incumbent Congressman Republican
Ed BryantEdward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
decided to run for the
SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat being vacated by Republican Fred Thompson. Blackburn entered the Republican primary to replace Bryant. The primary was watched very closely in Tennessee Republican circles. The 7th District is considered the state's most Republican district outside the state's traditional Republican heartland,
East TennesseeEast Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. Republicans had held the 7th since 1972 by margins rivaling those usually scored by East Tennessee Republicans.
Of the four serious candidates, Blackburn was the only one from the Nashville suburbs, while the other three were all from Memphis and its suburbs. The three Memphians split the vote in that area, allowing Blackburn to win the primary by 20 points. Blackburn's primary win was
tantamount to election"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
in November. In the general election, Blackburn defeated Democratic nominee Tim Barron. She was the fourth woman elected to Congress from Tennessee, but the first not to serve as a stand-in for her husband. (
Irene Bailey BakerEdith Irene Bailey Baker was a United States Representative from Tennessee, the first woman to represent that state in the United States Congress as a member of the Republican Party...
and Louise Reece had served as caretakers after their husbands died in office, and
Marilyn LloydRachel Marilyn Laird Lloyd is a Tennessee businesswoman and 10-term member of the United States House of Representatives .-Biographical information:...
replaced her husband on the ballot when he died after the primary election.) She is also the first Republican to represent part of Nashville itself since Reconstruction; a small portion of Nashville (roughly coextensive with the Davidson County portion of her State Senate district) was shifted from the heavily Democratic 5th District to the 7th District after the 2000 Census.
Blackburn was unopposed for reelection in 2004, which is somewhat unusual for a freshman member of Congress, even from a district as heavily Republican as the 7th.
WashingtonianWashingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
s September 2004
"Best and Worst of Congress", obtained from a survey of Congressional aides, identified Blackburn as one of the three best freshman members.
Electoral history
Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn (born June 6, 1952) is the U.S. RepresentativeThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for {{ushr|TN|7}}, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Republican PartyThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The district stretches from the suburbs of NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to the suburbs of MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Early life, education and career
Born Marsha Wedgeworth in Laurel, MississippiLaurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
, Blackburn attended Northeast Jones High School and graduated from Mississippi State UniversityThe Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
where she joined Chi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, and where she also spent a few summers working with the Southwestern CompanySouthwestern Company recruits and trains college students to sell educational reference books, software, and children's books door-to-door. Students participating in the Southwestern program are independent contractors, not employees of the company, purchasing books at wholesale from the company...
. She owned and operated a marketing company in Williamson County Tennessee.
Early political career
Blackburn began her political career in 1977 as a founding member of the Williamson CountyWilliamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
Young Republicans. She served as chairwoman of the Williamson County Republican Party from 1989 to 1991. Her elective political career began in 1992, when she won the Republican nomination for the 6th District, which at the time included her home in Brentwood. She lost by 16 percentage points to longtime congressman Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
. In 1995, she was appointed chairwoman of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission. She won elective office for the first time in 1998, when she was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, representing Williamson County and a sliver of Davidson CountyDavidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
. She led efforts to prevent the passage of a state income taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
championed by Governor Don SundquistDonald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
(Vice Chair - Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade)
Party leadership
- Deputy Whip
- Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
(former Communications Chair)
- National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
(Communications Chair)
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Songwriters Caucus (Co-Founder/Co-Chair)
- Reliable Energy Caucus
- International Conservation Caucus
The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
Blackburn is a fiscal and social conservative. She was defeated in November 2007 for the position of Republican Conference chairman. Some had speculated she would run for Bill FristWilliam Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
's U.S. SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat in 2006; however, she chose to run for a third House term. Unlike most female Representatives, she prefers to be called "Congressman Blackburn." She was also mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2010.
Congresswoman Blackburn initially backed former MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's presidential campaignMitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
, joining his campaign as a senior advisor. On May 25, 2007, Blackburn resigned her position in the Romney campaign and endorsed former Senator Fred Thompson for President.
Since 2007, Blackburn has not made a special spending request in federal budget earmarksIn United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
.
Blackburn is a vocal opponent of President Obama's Health Care Reform Legislation, which she characterizes as "a government run, government ensured, government financed, government delivered healthcare system". When pressed by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on opponents of Health Care Reform's claim that the legislation includes "death panel"Death panel", , is a term that originated during a 2009 political debate regarding health care reform in the United States. The death panel claim portrayed the health care bills then pending before the U.S. Congress as encouraging euthanasia for the elderly and as rationing health care for the...
s" for the elderly, Blackburn equivocated and would not reject this assertion although nonpartisan FactCheck.org considers it incorrect.
According to her campaign website, Blackburn has received the following honors:
- National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
described Blackburn as a "freshman to watch" and a "top House conservative" in 2003 and 2004.
- Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
called Blackburn a "taxpayer hero" in 2003.
- The Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
gave Blackburn the "true blue" award for the first half of the 108th Congress.
- National Right to Life
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
praised Blackburn for supporting the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act.
Blackburn served as an assistant whip in the 108th and 109th Congress, and served as a deputy whip for the 110th and 111th Congress. During the 110th Congress she was the Communications Chairman for the Republican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
. She is also serving as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee for third consecutive term.
In 2008 Blackburn won her GOP primary race by gaining 62 percent of the vote against Shelby CountyShelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
register of deeds, and former fellow state senator, moderate Republican Tom Leatherwood.
Blackburn scored 100% on American Conservative UnionThe American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
’s 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 Ratings of Congress.
According to the 2009 annual vote studies by Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, Blackburn is one of the most partisan Republican members of the House. According to National JournalNational Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, she was ranked as the 7th most conservative in the House. These rankings show Blackburn coming in behind a group of men who, in a six-way tie for the most conservative, all voted the same way on every politically charged issue for the year. For that reason it could be argued that Blackburn's voting record is the second most conservative in the House of Representatives.
In 2008, Congresswoman Blackburn was named one of CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress by government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
.
In April 2009, Blackburn questioned former Vice President Al GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
during an energy-related congressional hearing. The IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, a London-based periodical, has credited her for "famously put[ting Gore] on the spot about his business interests in the [energy] industry" during this confrontation. Citing the concerns of her district constituents, Blackburn's question to Gore was simply: "The legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?”. Blackburn was taken aback when Gore vociferously refuted the implied accusation, pointing out that every penny he makes from renewable technology investment goes to a non-profit. The non-profit to which he refers is The Alliance for Climate Protection and was founded in 2006 by Al Gore.
Political campaigns
Redistricting after the 2000 Census moved Blackburn's home from the 6th District into the 7th District. The 6th District incumbent Congressman, Democrat Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
, had faced three tough races in the 1990s (including a near-defeat in 1994) seemingly due to the 6th's inclusion of Williamson County, the wealthiest county in the state and the most Republican county in Middle Tennessee. It appears that the Democratic-controlled Tennessee General Assembly wanted to protect Gordon by moving Williamson County into the already heavily Republican 7th District. To maintain approximately equal district sizes (as required by Wesberry v. Sanders – 1964Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1 was a U.S. Supreme Court case involving U.S. Congressional districts in the state of Georgia. The Court issued its ruling on February 17, 1964. This decision requires each state to draw its U.S...
) and to compensate for the increase in 7th District population by the addition of Williamson County, the General Assembly shifted some of the more Democratic parts of ClarksvilleClarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
to the nearby 8th District. As a result, Tennessee's 7th District is 200 miles long but only two miles wide in some parts.
In 2002, 7th District incumbent Congressman Republican Ed BryantEdward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
decided to run for the SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat being vacated by Republican Fred Thompson. Blackburn entered the Republican primary to replace Bryant. The primary was watched very closely in Tennessee Republican circles. The 7th District is considered the state's most Republican district outside the state's traditional Republican heartland, East TennesseeEast Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. Republicans had held the 7th since 1972 by margins rivaling those usually scored by East Tennessee Republicans.
Of the four serious candidates, Blackburn was the only one from the Nashville suburbs, while the other three were all from Memphis and its suburbs. The three Memphians split the vote in that area, allowing Blackburn to win the primary by 20 points. Blackburn's primary win was tantamount to election"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
in November. In the general election, Blackburn defeated Democratic nominee Tim Barron. She was the fourth woman elected to Congress from Tennessee, but the first not to serve as a stand-in for her husband. (Irene Bailey BakerEdith Irene Bailey Baker was a United States Representative from Tennessee, the first woman to represent that state in the United States Congress as a member of the Republican Party...
and Louise Reece had served as caretakers after their husbands died in office, and Marilyn LloydRachel Marilyn Laird Lloyd is a Tennessee businesswoman and 10-term member of the United States House of Representatives .-Biographical information:...
replaced her husband on the ballot when he died after the primary election.) She is also the first Republican to represent part of Nashville itself since Reconstruction; a small portion of Nashville (roughly coextensive with the Davidson County portion of her State Senate district) was shifted from the heavily Democratic 5th District to the 7th District after the 2000 Census.
Blackburn was unopposed for reelection in 2004, which is somewhat unusual for a freshman member of Congress, even from a district as heavily Republican as the 7th. WashingtonianWashingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
s September 2004 "Best and Worst of Congress", obtained from a survey of Congressional aides, identified Blackburn as one of the three best freshman members.
Electoral history
Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn (born June 6, 1952) is the U.S. RepresentativeThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for {{ushr|TN|7}}, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Republican PartyThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The district stretches from the suburbs of NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to the suburbs of MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Early life, education and career
Born Marsha Wedgeworth in Laurel, MississippiLaurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
, Blackburn attended Northeast Jones High School and graduated from Mississippi State UniversityThe Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
where she joined Chi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, and where she also spent a few summers working with the Southwestern CompanySouthwestern Company recruits and trains college students to sell educational reference books, software, and children's books door-to-door. Students participating in the Southwestern program are independent contractors, not employees of the company, purchasing books at wholesale from the company...
. She owned and operated a marketing company in Williamson County Tennessee.
Early political career
Blackburn began her political career in 1977 as a founding member of the Williamson CountyWilliamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
Young Republicans. She served as chairwoman of the Williamson County Republican Party from 1989 to 1991. Her elective political career began in 1992, when she won the Republican nomination for the 6th District, which at the time included her home in Brentwood. She lost by 16 percentage points to longtime congressman Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
. In 1995, she was appointed chairwoman of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission. She won elective office for the first time in 1998, when she was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, representing Williamson County and a sliver of Davidson CountyDavidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
. She led efforts to prevent the passage of a state income taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
championed by Governor Don SundquistDonald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
(Vice Chair - Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade)
Party leadership
- Deputy Whip
- Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
(former Communications Chair)
- National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
(Communications Chair)
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Songwriters Caucus (Co-Founder/Co-Chair)
- Reliable Energy Caucus
- International Conservation Caucus
The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
Blackburn is a fiscal and social conservative. She was defeated in November 2007 for the position of Republican Conference chairman. Some had speculated she would run for Bill FristWilliam Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
's U.S. SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat in 2006; however, she chose to run for a third House term. Unlike most female Representatives, she prefers to be called "Congressman Blackburn." She was also mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2010.
Congresswoman Blackburn initially backed former MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's presidential campaignMitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
, joining his campaign as a senior advisor. On May 25, 2007, Blackburn resigned her position in the Romney campaign and endorsed former Senator Fred Thompson for President.
Since 2007, Blackburn has not made a special spending request in federal budget earmarksIn United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
.
Blackburn is a vocal opponent of President Obama's Health Care Reform Legislation, which she characterizes as "a government run, government ensured, government financed, government delivered healthcare system". When pressed by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on opponents of Health Care Reform's claim that the legislation includes "death panel"Death panel", , is a term that originated during a 2009 political debate regarding health care reform in the United States. The death panel claim portrayed the health care bills then pending before the U.S. Congress as encouraging euthanasia for the elderly and as rationing health care for the...
s" for the elderly, Blackburn equivocated and would not reject this assertion although nonpartisan FactCheck.org considers it incorrect.
According to her campaign website, Blackburn has received the following honors:
- National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
described Blackburn as a "freshman to watch" and a "top House conservative" in 2003 and 2004.
- Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
called Blackburn a "taxpayer hero" in 2003.
- The Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
gave Blackburn the "true blue" award for the first half of the 108th Congress.
- National Right to Life
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
praised Blackburn for supporting the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act.
Blackburn served as an assistant whip in the 108th and 109th Congress, and served as a deputy whip for the 110th and 111th Congress. During the 110th Congress she was the Communications Chairman for the Republican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
. She is also serving as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee for third consecutive term.
In 2008 Blackburn won her GOP primary race by gaining 62 percent of the vote against Shelby CountyShelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
register of deeds, and former fellow state senator, moderate Republican Tom Leatherwood.
Blackburn scored 100% on American Conservative UnionThe American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
’s 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 Ratings of Congress.
According to the 2009 annual vote studies by Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, Blackburn is one of the most partisan Republican members of the House. According to National JournalNational Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, she was ranked as the 7th most conservative in the House. These rankings show Blackburn coming in behind a group of men who, in a six-way tie for the most conservative, all voted the same way on every politically charged issue for the year. For that reason it could be argued that Blackburn's voting record is the second most conservative in the House of Representatives.
In 2008, Congresswoman Blackburn was named one of CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress by government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
.
In April 2009, Blackburn questioned former Vice President Al GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
during an energy-related congressional hearing. The IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, a London-based periodical, has credited her for "famously put[ting Gore] on the spot about his business interests in the [energy] industry" during this confrontation. Citing the concerns of her district constituents, Blackburn's question to Gore was simply: "The legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?”. Blackburn was taken aback when Gore vociferously refuted the implied accusation, pointing out that every penny he makes from renewable technology investment goes to a non-profit. The non-profit to which he refers is The Alliance for Climate Protection and was founded in 2006 by Al Gore.
Political campaigns
Redistricting after the 2000 Census moved Blackburn's home from the 6th District into the 7th District. The 6th District incumbent Congressman, Democrat Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
, had faced three tough races in the 1990s (including a near-defeat in 1994) seemingly due to the 6th's inclusion of Williamson County, the wealthiest county in the state and the most Republican county in Middle Tennessee. It appears that the Democratic-controlled Tennessee General Assembly wanted to protect Gordon by moving Williamson County into the already heavily Republican 7th District. To maintain approximately equal district sizes (as required by Wesberry v. Sanders – 1964Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1 was a U.S. Supreme Court case involving U.S. Congressional districts in the state of Georgia. The Court issued its ruling on February 17, 1964. This decision requires each state to draw its U.S...
) and to compensate for the increase in 7th District population by the addition of Williamson County, the General Assembly shifted some of the more Democratic parts of ClarksvilleClarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
to the nearby 8th District. As a result, Tennessee's 7th District is 200 miles long but only two miles wide in some parts.
In 2002, 7th District incumbent Congressman Republican Ed BryantEdward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
decided to run for the SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat being vacated by Republican Fred Thompson. Blackburn entered the Republican primary to replace Bryant. The primary was watched very closely in Tennessee Republican circles. The 7th District is considered the state's most Republican district outside the state's traditional Republican heartland, East TennesseeEast Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. Republicans had held the 7th since 1972 by margins rivaling those usually scored by East Tennessee Republicans.
Of the four serious candidates, Blackburn was the only one from the Nashville suburbs, while the other three were all from Memphis and its suburbs. The three Memphians split the vote in that area, allowing Blackburn to win the primary by 20 points. Blackburn's primary win was tantamount to election"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
in November. In the general election, Blackburn defeated Democratic nominee Tim Barron. She was the fourth woman elected to Congress from Tennessee, but the first not to serve as a stand-in for her husband. (Irene Bailey BakerEdith Irene Bailey Baker was a United States Representative from Tennessee, the first woman to represent that state in the United States Congress as a member of the Republican Party...
and Louise Reece had served as caretakers after their husbands died in office, and Marilyn LloydRachel Marilyn Laird Lloyd is a Tennessee businesswoman and 10-term member of the United States House of Representatives .-Biographical information:...
replaced her husband on the ballot when he died after the primary election.) She is also the first Republican to represent part of Nashville itself since Reconstruction; a small portion of Nashville (roughly coextensive with the Davidson County portion of her State Senate district) was shifted from the heavily Democratic 5th District to the 7th District after the 2000 Census.
Blackburn was unopposed for reelection in 2004, which is somewhat unusual for a freshman member of Congress, even from a district as heavily Republican as the 7th. WashingtonianWashingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
s September 2004 "Best and Worst of Congress", obtained from a survey of Congressional aides, identified Blackburn as one of the three best freshman members.
Electoral history
{{ushr|Tennessee|6|}
}: 1992 results
!|Year
!
!|Democrat
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Republican
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|3rd Party
!|Party
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|1992
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Bart GordonBarton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |120,177
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |57%
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Marsha Blackburn
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |86,289
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |41%
|
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |H. Scott Benson
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |5,952
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |3%
| |*
{{S-end}}
{{ushr|Tennessee|7|}
}: Results 2002–2010
!|Year
!
!|Democrat
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Republican
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|3rd Party
!|Party
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|2002
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Tim Barron
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |51,790
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |26%
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |{{nowrap|Marsha Blackburn}}
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |138,314
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |71%
|
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Rick Patterson
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |5,423
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |3%
| |*
|-
|2004
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |(no candidate)
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Marsha Blackburn
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |232,404
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |100%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|2006
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Bill Morrison
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |73,369
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |32%
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Marsha Blackburn
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |152,288
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |66%
|
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Kathleen A. Culver
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |1,806
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |1%
| |*
|-
|2008
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Randy Morris
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |98,207
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |31%
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Marsha Blackburn
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |214,214
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |69%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|2010
|
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Greg Rabidoux
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |54,341
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |25%
|
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Marsha Blackburn
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |158,892
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |72%
|
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |J.W. Stone
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |6,319
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |3%
| |*
|-
{{S-end}}
Personal life
Blackburn is married to Charles "Chuck" Blackburn, and they live in Brentwood-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 7,693 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% European American, 1.89% African American,...
, a wealthy suburb of Nashville. The couple has two children. Blackburn is Presbyterian. The Presbyterian Church is made up of several independent governing bodies known as denominations. The church Blackburn belongs to is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in AmericaThe Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...
. Blackburn is a member of The C Street Family, a prayer group which includes many members of Congress.
On May 31, 2006, Rep. Blackburn was named the “hottest woman in U.S. politics” in an online poll sponsored by Politics1.com.
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|us-tn-sen}}
{{Succession box
| title=Member of the Tennessee State Senate for the 23rd District
| before=Keith Jordan
| after=Jim Bryson
| years=1999–2003}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{USRepSuccessionBox
| state=Tennessee
| district=7
| before= Ed BryantEdward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
| start=2003}}
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=Tim BishopTimothy H. "Tim" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton,...
D-New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Representatives by seniority|years=198th}}
{{s-aft|after=Jo BonnerJosiah Robins Bonner, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and early political career:...
R-AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
}}
{{S-end}}
{{TN-FedRep}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 108th–112th United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
es |state=TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
}}
{{USCongRep/TN/108}}
{{USCongRep/TN/109}}
{{USCongRep/TN/110}}
{{USCongRep/TN/111}}
{{USCongRep/TN/112}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Persondata
|NAME= Blackburn, Marsha
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Blackburn, Marsha Wedgeworth
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= politician
|DATE OF BIRTH= June 6, 1952
|PLACE OF BIRTH= Laurel, MississippiLaurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackburn, Marsha}}