Charlotte Burks

Background

Burks was born in 1942 in Gainesboro, Tennessee, and lives in Monterey, Tennessee.

Career

She began her Senate service with the 101st General Assembly. She was reelected in 2002 and 2006 with no substantive opposition. Burks carried five of the six counties in the largely rural district, losing only in Cumberland County.

An independent candidate placed third in the vote.

Steakley challenged the results, claiming irregularities on election day, but a State Senate committee found that there was insufficient evidence to question the outcome. On September 8, 2013 she announced her retirement and that she would not run for reelection to the State Senate in 2014.

Achievements

• Although she did not campaign, she defeated Looper by a landslide margin, receiving 95% of the vote and becoming the first write-in candidate to win a seat in the Tennessee State Senate. In 2010, when Republicans picked up many seats in the General Assembly, Burks won re-election to a fourth four-year term by a margin of just 183 votes over her Republican opponent, Gary Steakley. On Election Day, the Republican candidate won the seat.

Membership

In the Senate, Burks served as the secretary of the education committee. As a member of the joint study economic development. Government operations.

Select on children and youth.

And the environment, conservation, and tourism committees.