Rosalind Kurita
Encyclopedia
Rosalind Kurita is a Tennessee politician who was formerly Speaker
pro tempore of the Tennessee State Senate
, representing State Senate District 22 (Cheatham, Houston, and Montgomery
Counties), centered on Clarksville
. In 2005 she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party
nomination for the United States Senate
seat up for election in 2006.
, the daughter of a former leader in the Republican Party
. A registered nurse
, she received her B.A.
from the University of Arkansas
. She married in 1972 and has three children. After her children’s births, Kurita created her own small medical marketing business. Kurita began in politics as a county commissioner for Montgomery County.
to succeed retiring senator Bill Frist
. After poor results from her fundraising efforts, Kurita withdrew from the race and endorsed the eventual Democratic nominee, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
.
On January 9, 2007, Kurita was the lone member of the Democratic caucus
in the Tennessee Senate to vote together with all 17 Republican members to replace long-serving Democratic Senate Speaker
John S. Wilder
with the Republican Ron Ramsey
. On January 12, 2007, Ramsey named Kurita Speaker pro tempore, replacing Republican State Senator Micheal Williams
, who had in the previous legislative session broken with his fellow Republicans to vote in favor of Wilder.
Before 2008 Kurita was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination in Tennessee's 7th congressional district
in the 2008 election. The district, represented by Republican Marsha Blackburn
(who served with her in the State Senate from 1999 to 2003) includes most of Kurita's state senate district. She also was mentioned as a candidate for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Lamar Alexander
. Instead of seeking either office, Kurita sought to remain in the State Senate. In the August 7, 2008, Democratic primary
she was opposed by Tim Barnes, who she outpolled by just 19 votes, receiving 4,477 votes to Barnes' 4,458 votes. Election officials certified her victory. The Republicans didn't even put up a candidate, seemingly handing Kurita another term. However, Barnes contested the results, claiming that Kurita only won because a large number of Republicans crossed over to vote in the Democratic primary (Tennessee has an open primary system). On September 13 Tennessee Democratic Party officials met in Nashville and voted to strip Kurita of the nomination. Party officials in Kurita's district then held a convention and designated Barnes as the party's candidate in the November general election. Kurita had been on bad terms with party leadership because of her vote for Republican Ron Ramsey, enabling him to win election as Senate speaker. Kurita subsequently announced that she would seek re-election in November as a write-in candidate
. Her write-in candidacy was unsuccessful, resulting in 23,322 votes, which was not sufficient to overcome Barnes' total of 36,977 votes as the Democratic nominee.
She also sued
the state Democratic Party in federal court, seeking to have her name restored to the ballot. Her lawsuit charged that the Tennessee law allowing political party
officials to rule on challenges to primary election results violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it has no procedural rules to protect due process
and it does not allow for judicial review. The complaint also contended that Kurita's rights were violated because rules for the party's review of the primary results were not adopted until the morning of the review meeting, and that the Democratic Party officials did not adequately explain their reasons for overturning the election results. On October 15, 2008, Judge Robert L. Echols
of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
dismissed her complaint. His ruling stated that when primary election results are contested, under Tennessee law the primary board (in this instance the Democratic Party executive committee) has the authority to decide on the party's nominee. Kurita said she would appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
.
Barnes succeeded Kurita in the State Senate in January 2009.
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
pro tempore of the Tennessee State Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
, representing State Senate District 22 (Cheatham, Houston, and Montgomery
Montgomery County, Tennessee
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The county seat is Clarksville. The population was 172,331 at the 2010 census. It is one of the four counties included in the Clarksville, TN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Counties), centered on Clarksville
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
. In 2005 she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat up for election in 2006.
Early life and career
Kurita (Born Rosalind Culbertson) grew up in Midland, TexasMidland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, the daughter of a former leader in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. A registered nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
, she received her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. She married in 1972 and has three children. After her children’s births, Kurita created her own small medical marketing business. Kurita began in politics as a county commissioner for Montgomery County.
Political career
In 1996, Kurita won a state senate seat by defeating an incumbent Republican senator. She was re-elected twice, in 2000 and 2004. In 2005, Kurita announced her intentions to run for the Democratic Party nomination for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to succeed retiring senator Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
. After poor results from her fundraising efforts, Kurita withdrew from the race and endorsed the eventual Democratic nominee, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
.
On January 9, 2007, Kurita was the lone member of the Democratic caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
in the Tennessee Senate to vote together with all 17 Republican members to replace long-serving Democratic Senate Speaker
Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
The Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee is the Speaker of the Tennessee Senate and first in line in the succession to the office of Governor of Tennessee in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office through impeachment and conviction of the Governor of the U.S...
John S. Wilder
John S. Wilder
John Shelton Wilder was an American politician who was a Tennessee state senator from 1959 to 1961 and again from 1967 to 2009 and the 48th lieutenant governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 2007, possibly the longest time anyone has served as Lieutenant Governor or a similar position in the history of...
with the Republican Ron Ramsey
Ron Ramsey
Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey is the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the State Senate. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S...
. On January 12, 2007, Ramsey named Kurita Speaker pro tempore, replacing Republican State Senator Micheal Williams
Micheal R. Williams
Micheal R. Williams, born February 6, 1955 in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a Tennessee politician who formerly served in the Tennessee State Senate and was elected county mayor of Union County in August 2010....
, who had in the previous legislative session broken with his fellow Republicans to vote in favor of Wilder.
Before 2008 Kurita was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination in Tennessee's 7th congressional district
Tennessee's 7th congressional district
The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
in the 2008 election. The district, represented by Republican Marsha Blackburn
Marsha Blackburn
Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. She is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from the suburbs of Nashville to the suburbs of Memphis.-Early life, education and career:...
(who served with her in the State Senate from 1999 to 2003) includes most of Kurita's state senate district. She also was mentioned as a candidate for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
. Instead of seeking either office, Kurita sought to remain in the State Senate. In the August 7, 2008, Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
she was opposed by Tim Barnes, who she outpolled by just 19 votes, receiving 4,477 votes to Barnes' 4,458 votes. Election officials certified her victory. The Republicans didn't even put up a candidate, seemingly handing Kurita another term. However, Barnes contested the results, claiming that Kurita only won because a large number of Republicans crossed over to vote in the Democratic primary (Tennessee has an open primary system). On September 13 Tennessee Democratic Party officials met in Nashville and voted to strip Kurita of the nomination. Party officials in Kurita's district then held a convention and designated Barnes as the party's candidate in the November general election. Kurita had been on bad terms with party leadership because of her vote for Republican Ron Ramsey, enabling him to win election as Senate speaker. Kurita subsequently announced that she would seek re-election in November as a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
. Her write-in candidacy was unsuccessful, resulting in 23,322 votes, which was not sufficient to overcome Barnes' total of 36,977 votes as the Democratic nominee.
She also sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
the state Democratic Party in federal court, seeking to have her name restored to the ballot. Her lawsuit charged that the Tennessee law allowing political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
officials to rule on challenges to primary election results violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it has no procedural rules to protect due process
Due process
Due process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
and it does not allow for judicial review. The complaint also contended that Kurita's rights were violated because rules for the party's review of the primary results were not adopted until the morning of the review meeting, and that the Democratic Party officials did not adequately explain their reasons for overturning the election results. On October 15, 2008, Judge Robert L. Echols
Robert L. Echols
Robert L. Echols is a United States federal judge.Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Echols received a B.A. from Rhodes College in 1962 and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1964. He was in the United States Army in 1966. He was a law clerk to judge Marion S. Boyd, of the U.S....
of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is the federal trial court for most of Middle Tennessee. Based in Nashville, it was created in 1839 when Congress added a third district to the state...
dismissed her complaint. His ruling stated that when primary election results are contested, under Tennessee law the primary board (in this instance the Democratic Party executive committee) has the authority to decide on the party's nominee. Kurita said she would appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
.
Barnes succeeded Kurita in the State Senate in January 2009.