Diana Harshbarger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diana Harshbarger
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
|
| Preceded by | Phil Roe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1960 Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Bob Harshbarger |
| Children | 1, including Bobby |
| Education | East Tennessee State University (BS) Mercer University (PharmD) |
| Website | |
Diana Lynn Harshbarger (born January 1, 1960) is an American politician, pharmacist, and businesswoman. Since 2021, she has been a U.S. representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district. This area includes the Tri-Cities in the northeastern part of the state.
Harshbarger is a member of the Republican Party and a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and won again in 2022 and 2024. She is a member of the Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee, which are groups of conservative Republicans in Congress. Harshbarger is the only woman currently representing Tennessee in the House of Representatives.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Diana Harshbarger was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, and grew up in the nearby community of Bloomingdale. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school.
She went to East Tennessee State University for her first degree. Later, she earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University. A Doctor of Pharmacy (or PharmD) is a degree that prepares someone to be a pharmacist.
Career as a Pharmacist
Harshbarger has been a licensed pharmacist since 1987. She and her husband, Bob, own and operate a pharmacy called Premier Pharmacy.
U.S. House of Representatives
How She Was Elected
2020 Election
In 2020, the representative for Tennessee's 1st district, Phil Roe, decided to retire. Harshbarger announced she would run for his seat in the United States House of Representatives.
She first had to win the Republican primary election. A primary is an election where voters choose which candidate from their party will run in the main election. Harshbarger won against 16 other candidates.
After winning the primary, she ran in the general election against the Democratic candidate, Blair Walsingham. Harshbarger won the election and officially took office on January 3, 2021.
Her district has a long history of electing Republicans. This means winning the Republican primary often leads to winning the general election. When she was elected, Harshbarger became the fifth woman from Tennessee to serve in Congress.
Campaign Promises
During her campaign, Harshbarger said she wanted to focus on several issues. These included passing laws to protect religious freedom and the lives of unborn children. She also talked about the nation's reliance on medicines made in other countries, like China, as a national security concern.
Her Time in Office
On January 6, 2021, Harshbarger voted against certifying the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. She was one of 139 Republican House members who did so.
In August 2021, a report from Business Insider stated that Harshbarger had not properly reported hundreds of stock trades. A law called the STOCK Act requires members of Congress to report their stock market activity to the public.
Harshbarger supported efforts to impeach President Joe Biden. Impeachment is a process the Congress can use to charge a high-level government official with a crime. In 2021, she co-sponsored a plan to impeach President Biden over the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan. In 2023, she also co-sponsored plans to impeach other government officials.
In 2023, she was one of 71 Republicans who voted against a bill called the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which dealt with government spending. In 2024, she also voted against a bill that would send $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Political Views
Healthcare
In 2024, Harshbarger spoke against using government health programs like Medicaid and Medicare to pay for anti-obesity medicines. She stated that she believes obesity is a side effect of other things, not a disease itself.
Foreign Policy
In 2025, Harshbarger supported a proposal by former President Trump about the Gaza Strip. She praised his leadership and said he keeps his promises.
Committees and Caucuses
Members of Congress work in small groups called committees and caucuses to focus on specific topics. Harshbarger serves on several of these.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Committee on Homeland Security
Caucus Memberships
- GOP Doctors Caucus
- Rural Broadband Caucus
- Tennessee Valley Corridor Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- Freedom Caucus
- Congressional Western Caucus
Personal Life
Harshbarger is a Baptist. She is married to Bob Harshbarger. Her son, Bobby Harshbarger, is a Tennessee State Senator.
See Also
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
