Williams won’t run for repeat as House speaker

The Tennessee House appears headed for a third speaker in as many General Assemblies after Rep. Kent Williams’ announcement that he won’t seek another term in the chamber’s top leadership post.
Williams, who bucked his Republican colleagues and joined with all the chamber’s Democrats to become the surprise winner of the speakership in 2008, said GOP gains in Tuesday’s election mean “there’s no way to gather enough votes’’ for a second term as speaker.
Republicans gained 14 seats in the House to give them a 64-33 advantage over Democrats, along with Williams as the lone independent. One House race remained too close to call, but was leaning toward staying in the Democratic column.
Williams, an Elizabethton restaurateur, said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that he will now support Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, for speaker. Others considering a run at the top post include Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada and Rep. Harry Brooks of Knoxville.
Casada predicted that if he gets into the speaker’s race he would succeed at least in part because of his hand in recruiting and assisting most of the 22 new Republicans elected on Tuesday.
“But these positions are determined by the caucus, and the caucus decides,’’ he said after a joint press conference by Gov.-elect Bill Haslam and outgoing Gov. Phil Bredesen.