Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus to Choose Speaker/Lieutenant Governor, Senate Majority Leader, on Dec. 3

The Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus will meet on Monday, Dec. 3 to elect leaders for the 111th General Assembly.

The meeting will take place at 1:30 p.m. CST on the 8th Floor of the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville, the caucus said in a press release.

The following offices will be elected: Speaker of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor (to be elected by the full Senate body when the General Assembly convenes), Senate Majority Leader, Senate Republican Caucus Chairman, Caucus Treasurer, Caucus Secretary and Caucus Chaplain.

A list of the caucus’ current officers is available here.

State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-TN-23), who is starting his fourth term, is considered a front-runner for Senate Majority Leader, several outlets, according to some outlets, including the Williamson Herald.

The Williamson County Republican is Chair of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, a member of the Senate State and Local Government Committee and a member of the Capitol Commission.

The Senate Majority Leader position was left open when Mark Norris (R-TN-32) was named as a federal judge in the Western District of Tennessee in October. Norris was tapped by the Trump Administration in July 2017 to fill the federal judgeship that was vacated a few months prior in March, The Tennessee Star said in a January story.

Another Williamson County legislator, State Rep. Glen Casada (R-TN-63) is also running for another leading position – House Speaker, The Williamson Herald said. That position was vacated when State Rep. Beth Harwell (R-TN-56) mounted an unsuccessful bid for the governor’s job, losing in the primary to Gov.-elect Bill Lee.

The House GOP Caucus will select its leadership today.

The Senate Republican Caucus said it will also elect three members to serve on the Joint Fiscal Review Committee.

The General Assembly is scheduled to convene on Jan. 8, 2019 at noon CST.

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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.

Photo “Jack Johnson” by Jackson Johnson’s Facebook Page.