Linda Elam
Linda Elam | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 57th district | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – January 8, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Lynn |
| Succeeded by | Susan Lynn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Linda Carol Elam June 23, 1959 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | University of Tennessee (BS, JD) |
| Occupation |
|
Linda Carol Elam (born June 23, 1959) is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, representing the 57th district. She also served as the mayor of Mount Juliet.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Linda Carol Elam was born on June 23, 1959, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, earning her undergraduate degree in business administration in 1981. In 1992, she graduated with a JD from the university's Winston College of Law.[1]
Career and community work
[edit]After graduating with her law degree, Elam became a practicing attorney.[1] She served in several leadership positions throughout Mt. Juliet and Wilson County, culminating in her selection as Mt. Juliet's mayor. During her tenure, she and eight other county officials filed a federal lawsuit against a fellow commissioner who allegedly collected their personal information through the state's criminal justice portal by running unauthorized background checks. The parties later agreed to a monetary settlement.[2]
She has been a member of the board of directors of Summit Medical Center.[1]
Tennessee House of Representatives (2011–2013)
[edit]Elections
[edit]In 2010, incumbent Representative Susan Lynn announced that she would not seek election to her seat and instead run for the Tennessee Senate seat being vacated by Mae Beavers. Elam, in turn, announced her candidacy for Lynn's seat in the 57th House district. She won her election, taking office in January 2011. Meanwhile, Beavers backtracked on her decision to retire; in a close election, she won the Republican nomination against Lynn.[3]
In 2012, Elam was challenged by Lynn, who was now seeking election back to her old seat. Elam criticized Lynn for running in a district in which she no longer lived and challenged Lynn to a debate. Lynn ignored the invitation, though she promised to move into the district by the time of the general election. Despite the controversies, Lynn defeated Elam by a wide margin and went on to win the general election unopposed.[3]
Tenure
[edit]After winning election to the Tennessee House of Representatives, Elam chose to continue serving simultaneously as Mt. Juliet's mayor. The city had passed a resolution the same election cycle preventing candidates from holding multiple offices, but in January 2011, a judge determined the restriction could not be applied to Elam and other city officials already in office. Elam contended that Mt. Juliet voters had elected her with the understanding that the resolution would not immediately go into effect.[4] Later, Elam agreed to resign from the mayorship on March 31 to focus on her job in the legislature.[5]
In 2012, Elam sponsored a bill requiring all candidates for office in Tennessee to produce several documents, including a long-form birth certificate. When asked by House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick if the legislation would keep Barack Obama off Tennessee's ballots, Elam responded that she did not know, but insisted that the legislation was "not a birther bill." Elam had also listed McCormick as a co-sponsor on the bill, apparently without his knowledge. The proposal was eventually postponed without debate, before expiring at the end of the assembly.[6]
Personal life
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Representatives - TN General Assembly". Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Highland, Deborah (February 1, 2011). "Settlement ends lawsuit over background checks of Mt. Juliet workers". ProQuest. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 Horton, Jennifer (August 3, 2012). "Unofficial election results". The Wilson Post. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Highland, Deborah (January 15, 2011). "State Rep. Linda Elam can remain Mt. Juliet mayor, judge says". ProQuest. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Cass, Michael (January 27, 2011). "Linda Elam will quit as Mt. Juliet mayor by March 31 to focus on legislative job". ProQuest. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Humphrey, Tom (April 18, 2011). "GOP kills two mailings account bills". ProQuest. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)