Quick Facts
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Charlie Baum (born December 13, 1972) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 37 (Murfreesboro) since November 6, 2018. Baum is also a professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University.
In 2023, Baum was the only Republican to vote against three resolutions to expel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules. The two successful expulsions were widely characterized as unprecedented. Baum told the Tennessean he wanted to keep working with the three lawmakers to "become more effective legislators" and said that "the vast majority of ['my constituents'] didn't want these representatives expelled".
Background
Education
Baum attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he earned his B.A. in economics in 1995. Baum then attended the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he received his Ph.D. in economics in 1999.
Teaching career
Baum currently teaches economics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. He has taught at MTSU since August 1999.
Personal life
Baum was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is married to his wife Kelly and they have 3 children: Elizabeth, Anna Jane, and Charles. Baum and his family are active members of the First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro.
Electoral history
2018 election
Primary election results
The District 37 Republican Primary Election took place on August 2, 2018.
| Candidate | Percentage of Votes | Total Votes Received |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Baum | 100% | 5,831 Votes |
General election results
The District 37 General Election took place on November 6, 2018.
| Candidate | Percentage of Votes | Total Votes Received |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Baum (R) | 59.3% | 13,455 Votes |
| Deanna Debow Osborne (D) | 40.7% | 9,218 Votes |
2022 election
Republican Primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charlie Baum (incumbent) | 3,658 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 3,658 | 100.00% | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charlie Baum (incumbent) | 9,456 | 65.44% | |
| Democratic | Bill Levine | 4,993 | 34.56% | |
| Total votes | 14,449 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Current legislative committees
| Role | Committee |
|---|---|
| Member | Finance, Ways, & Means Committee |
| Member | Finance, Ways, & Means Appropriations Committee |
| Member | Education |
| Member | Consumer & Human Resources Committee |
| Member | Employee Affairs Subcommittee |
Community involvement
Volunteer work
Baum was a board member for 4 years at the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties from 2013–2017. He was a board member at the American Heart Association of Rutherford County for 5 years from 2012–2017. He was a county commissioner at the Rutherford County Commission for 8 years from 2010–2018. He was a board member on the Murfreesboro City School Foundation for 6 years from 2013–2019. He is currently a board member on the Linebaugh Library Foundation Board, where he has served since 2015. Baum is currently a board member at Oaklands Historic Mansion, where he has served since 2016.
Organizations
Baum has been a part of the American Academy of Economics and Financial Experts (AAEFE) since 2015. He has been a part of National Association of Forensic Economists since January 2013.
Published work
Baum published "Calculating Economic Losses from Wrongful Incarceration" in the Tennessee Bar Journal in July 2016. Baum published "Employee Tenure and Economic Losses in Wrongful Termination Cases" in the Journal of Forensic Economics in 2013.
Honors and awards
In 1988, Baum became an Eagle Scout, as a part of the Boy Scouts of America. From 2008–2014, Baum served as a chair in the Department of Economics and Finance at MTSU.