Bill Lee is the 50th and current Governor of Tennessee, serving since January 2019 and re-elected in 2022. A seventh-generation Tennessean, Lee was born in Franklin in 1959 and built his career as president of Lee Company before entering politics. As governor, he has focused on workforce development, education reform, and economic growth, overseeing the fastest-growing economy in the nation and record capital investments. Lee signed the landmark ELVIS Act to protect musicians from AI voice cloning, expanded school choice, and enacted the state's largest tax cut. He resides in Franklin with his wife, Maria, and their family.

Current Role: Governor of Tennessee (January 19, 2019 – present)

Previous roles: President, Lee Company (1992 – 2016); No previous elected political office before governor

Education: Auburn University, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1981)

Background: Born October 9, 1959, in Franklin, Tennessee; seventh-generation Tennessean; raised in Franklin; married to Maria Lee; father of four adult children

Career: Led Lee Company, a mechanical construction and services firm founded by his grandfather; expanded company operations and workforce before entering public service

Political positions: Republican; emphasizes economic development, workforce and technical training, rural transformation, strong public safety, school choice, and limited government

Legislative achievements: Signed the ELVIS Act, the nation’s first law protecting musicians from AI-generated voice cloning; largest tax cut and teacher pay raise in Tennessee history; expanded school choice; prohibited ranked-choice voting; made “Volunteer State” Tennessee’s official nickname

Controversies: Criticized for initial handling of emergency declarations during Hurricane Helene in 2024; opposed United Auto Workers unionization in 2024; faced scrutiny for responses to natural disasters and certain policy stances