Representative Robert Clement

Robert Nelson Clement (born September 23, 1943) is an American politician, academic administrator, and real estate professional who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2003. A member of the Democratic Party, he served eight terms as the congressman for Tennessee’s 5th congressional district, centered on Nashville, and played an active role in the legislative process during a significant period in late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century American history. He is the son of former Tennessee Governor Frank G. Clement, a prominent mid‑century Democratic leader in the state, and his family background in public service strongly influenced his own political career.

Clement was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up in a politically engaged household shaped by his father’s long tenure as governor. This environment exposed him early to the workings of state government and public affairs. His father, Frank G. Clement, whose life and legacy would later be commemorated in a museum in Dickson, Tennessee, was born on June 2, 1920, in what was then the Hotel Halbrook, underscoring the family’s deep roots in the state. Robert Clement’s early years in Tennessee provided the foundation for his later interest in both public service and higher education administration.

Before entering Congress, Clement pursued a career that combined regulatory oversight, public administration, and higher education leadership. He served as a member of the Tennessee Public Service Commission, where he was involved in the regulation of public utilities and services in the state. He later served on the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the federally owned corporation responsible for electricity generation, flood control, and economic development across the Tennessee Valley region. In addition to these roles, Clement became president of Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he oversaw the institution’s academic and administrative operations. This blend of regulatory, federal, and academic experience helped establish his reputation as a capable administrator and public servant prior to his election to national office.

Clement was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1988 as a Democrat from Tennessee’s 5th congressional district. He took office at the close of the 100th Congress and went on to serve eight consecutive terms, remaining in the House until January 3, 2003. During his tenure, he represented the interests of his Nashville-area constituents through participation in the legislative process, committee work, and advocacy on issues important to Tennessee and the broader region. His years in Congress spanned the presidencies of Ronald Reagan’s final year, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and the early period of George W. Bush, encompassing major national developments in domestic policy, foreign affairs, and economic change. As a member of the House of Representatives, Clement contributed to debates and legislation affecting both his district and the nation.

In 2002, Clement chose not to seek re‑election to the House in order to run for the United States Senate. His decision followed Republican Senator Fred Thompson’s announcement that he would not pursue a second full term, after earlier indicating he would run again. Clement entered the Democratic primary for Thompson’s open seat and won his party’s nomination with relative ease. In the November 2002 general election, however, he was defeated by former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, a Republican. Clement’s departure from the House at the end of the 107th Congress marked the conclusion of his fourteen-year congressional career. He was succeeded in the 5th district by Democrat Jim Cooper, himself a former congressman and, like Clement, the son of a former Tennessee governor, reflecting a continuity of political families in Tennessee’s representation.

Following his congressional service and unsuccessful Senate bid, Clement remained active in civic and professional life in Tennessee. He established himself as a realtor in Nashville, continuing his engagement with the community through the private sector. He also joined the board of directors of the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum in Dickson, Tennessee. The museum, located in the former Hotel Halbrook where his father was born, is dedicated both to the history of Dickson County and to the life and legacy of Governor Frank G. Clement, preserving the family’s place in the state’s political and cultural history.

Clement’s personal life has likewise been rooted in Tennessee. He is married to the former Mary Carson of Nashville. The couple has two children, and Clement has two stepchildren, reflecting a blended family with strong ties to the Nashville area. Through his long career in state regulation, federal administration, higher education, Congress, and later business and historical preservation, Robert Nelson Clement has maintained a continuous presence in Tennessee public life, shaped by and contributing to the state’s political heritage.