BL
Bill Lee
RepublicanGovernor of Tennessee| Age | 66 (b. 1959-10-09) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2019-01-01 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian (member of Grace Chapel, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee) |
| Education | Franklin High School; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University (1981) |
| Prior occupation | Businessman; President and CEO of Lee Company (family mechanical construction, HVAC, plumbing and home services company), 1992-2016 |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Franklin, Tennessee |
| Marital status | Married — Maria Lee (m. 2008); first wife Carol Ann Lee (m. 1984, died 2000) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Fernvale (near Franklin), Tennessee |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2018 |
| Leadership | Governor of Tennessee (50th, since January 2019) · Chair, Republican Governors Association (Dec 2023 - Nov 2024) |
| Ideology | Self-described social conservative; signed near-total abortion ban, permitless carry, school vouchers, and restrictions on transgender care and drag performances. |
| Signature legislation | Education Freedom Scholarship Act / statewide school voucher program (2025) · Permitless (constitutional) carry gun law (2021) · Heartbeat / near-total abortion ban (post-Dobbs) · Adult Entertainment Act restricting drag performances (2023) · ELVIS Act protecting musicians' voices/likeness from AI (2024) |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
| Lee Company (family mechanical construction/HVAC/plumbing/home services business) | business_owned · 2018 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Tennessee Ethics Commission Finds Governor Violated State Law by Accepting ADF-Paid Trip
In July 2024, Governor Bill Lee traveled to Marco Island, Florida, to serve as keynote speaker at the annual Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) summit, with ADF covering his travel expenses. After the trip drew public scrutiny, Lee's office requested a formal opinion from the Tennessee Ethics Commission. In December 2024, the commission issued a seven-page opinion concluding that ADF and its affiliated 501(c)4 lobbying arm ADF Action are 'closely related and intertwined organizations' sharing a lobbyist, board members, and mission, and that Lee had received an indirect gift from an employer of a registered Tennessee lobbyist, in violation of state law banning such gifts to public officials. The commission commended Lee for seeking the opinion and directed him to reimburse ADF. Lee's office confirmed repayment of approximately $1,900 in travel costs.
ongoing — Court rules Gov. Lee exceeded authority in deploying National Guard to Memphis
In October 2025, Shelby County officials and Democratic lawmakers sued Gov. Bill Lee over his deployment of the National Guard to Memphis as part of a federal 'Memphis Safe Task Force.' On November 17, 2025, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal ruled that Lee acted beyond his authority as commander-in-chief, finding the legal preconditions (a grave emergency, disaster, or local request) were not met, and ordered the deployment halted. The court paused its order while the state, through Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, pursued an appeal, and the Guard remained in the city during the appeal.