Political Career
| 75th Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| In office January 1969 – May 1970 |
|
| Governor | Buford Ellington |
| Preceded by | James H. Cummings |
| Succeeded by | James R. McKinney |
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives |
|
| In office January 1963 – May 1970 |
|
| Preceded by | Hugh S. Moles |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Hurley |
Jenkins was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly as a Republican in 1962 and he served as Speaker of the House from 1969 to 1971--as of 2008, the only Republican to hold that position since Reconstruction. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee in 1970, was a Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Conservation, serving in the Cabinet of Winfield Dunn, and according to his website biography, he was a senior policy advisor on energy and legislative issues for Governor Lamar Alexander.
Jenkins was the only Republican to serve as Speaker of the Tennessee House in the 20th century. He was also one of the youngest persons to ever hold the office.
Jenkins served on the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority from 1971 to 1978, and he was a circuit court judge for Tennessee's Third Judicial District from 1990 to 1996.
Read more about this topic: Bill Jenkins (politician)
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