David B. Hawk

David B. Hawk
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2003
Preceded by	Zane Whitson
Personal details
Born	(1968-06-21) June 21, 1968
Party	Republican
Spouse	Crystal Goan ​ (div. 2013)​
Children	2
Education	Tusculum University East Tennessee State University
Website	House website Campaign website

David B. Hawk (born June 21, 1968) is an American politician who has been a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives since 2003. He represents the 5th district, encompassing portions of Greene County. He is a member of the Commerce Committee, the Conservation and Environment Committee, the Parks and Tourism Subcommittee, and the Small Business Subcommittee.

Early life and education

David B. Hawk was born on June 21, 1968, to father Buddy Hawk, a businessman, and mother Jeannette (née Cannon) Hawk, a piano teacher. He attended Tusculum University, graduated from East Tennessee State University with honors and a degree in marketing.

Career

Hawk and his family ran a clothing store, The Tailor Shop.

Tennessee House of Representatives (2003–present)

Elections

In 2020, after the retirement of Phil Roe, Hawk announced a campaign to represent Tennessee's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. In the Republican primary, he came in seventh place, receiving five percent of the vote and losing the nomination to Diana Harshbarger.

Tenure

In 2009, Hawk voted in favor of legislation allowing licensed gun owners to bring concealed weapons into bars, nightclubs, and other establishments that serve alcohol so long as they do not consume alcohol. After Governor Phil Bredesen vetoed the bill, Hawk voted with a supermajority of legislators to override the veto. The measure went into effect on July 14.

On February 9, 2023, Representative Justin Pearson was sworn into the House after winning a special election. Pearson entered the House chamber wearing a dashiki, a traditional West African garment. Afterward, Hawk indirectly criticized Pearson's behavior, taking to the floor to speak about proper attire and recount an anecdote in which he described being blocked from the floor by Lois DeBerry when she noticed him attempt to enter the chamber without a tie.

On April 6, 2023, the Tennessee House voted on motions to expel Pearson, along with Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson, after the three Democratic representatives violated decorum rules while protesting on the House floor after a mass shooting. Hawk voted in favor of all three expulsions. Pearson and Jones were expelled, while Johnson was not.

Committee assignments

Hawk's committee assignments are below:

• Chair, Transportation Subcommittee
• Vice-Chair, Transportation Committee of 1st Extraordinary Session
• Member, Council on Pensions
• Member, Education Committee of Extraordinary Session
• Member, Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
• Member, Private Acts Committee
• Member, Transportation Committee

Personal life

Hawk married attorney Crystal Goan. They divorced in 2013. He has two daughters, and lives in Greeneville. He is a Lutheran.

Arrest and domestic violence accusations

On March 18, 2012, Hawk was charged with domestic assault following an altercation with Goan. The sheriff's office report describes that Goan had been drinking the previous night, and that Hawk became angry after looking through her cell phone. According to the report, Goan said that she and Hawk argued through the morning, which culminated in Hawk striking her in the face and knocking her down while she held their eleven-month old child. Following the incident, Goan left to a friend's house and contacted authorities. The criminal complaint against Hawk described Goan had suffered "bruising and swelling on and around her right eye, an abrasion (to) the upper and lower right side of her lip, and a large bruise on her left upper arm."

Hawk was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. The trial began on September 16, 2013. Goan testified that Hawk threw her out of bed before punching her in the face. Hawk denied the claims, and said that Goan had pulled a gun on him and threatened to shoot. On September 19, the jury deadlocked on the assault charge, but found Hawk guilty of reckless endangerment. Hawk has continued to maintain his innocence after the decision. At his sentencing in December, Paul Summers agreed to place Hawk on a two-year judicial diversion probation plan requiring 150 hours of community service and completion of an anger management course. Hawk also was required to pay 1,500 dollars in restitution.

The incident led Hawk to step down as the chair of the House Conservation and Environment Committee. Chip Forrester, chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, called on Hawk to resign from office altogether.

Hit-and-run incident

The night of May 10, 2024, Hawk was involved in a minor hit-and-run accident. While exiting a hotel parking lot, Hawk's vehicle collided with the back bumper of another car. The other vehicle's reported the incident to police, and security camera footage revealed Hawk as the suspect. The next day, Hawk went to the police department and said he did not notice hitting the other vehicle, instead thinking that he had run over something underneath his car. The department cited Hawk for leaving the scene of an accident, and he paid 150 dollars as a fine. He later issued a public statement characterizing the incident as a misunderstanding that he sought to rectify as soon as possible.

External links

• David Hawk's profile at the Tennessee General Assembly website
• David Hawk's Ballotpedia