About the Statesmen's Dinner

The Statesmen's Dinner is a time-honored Tennessee Republican tradition dating back almost 50 years. We've hosted Vice Presidents, future Presidents, Secretaries of State, cabinet members, governors, senators and more. It is the largest state Republican Party dinner in the country and attracts over a thousand attendees annually.  

This year's theme, "Tennessee's Golden Age," is celebratory in nature. Like you, the Tennessee Republican Party is thrilled that Republicans secured the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Tennessee's Republican supermajority held firm in November, too, with Republicans recapturing all open seats previously held by Republicans. These next four years under President Trump will be a return to normalcy, a victory for common sense, and a renewed golden age for our country and our beloved state. We look forward to rejoicing in these victories with you on August 23rd, 2025. 

We are incredibly excited to welcome Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson as our keynote speaker. Speaker Johnson is a powerful unifying force in Congress, rallying his slim Republican majority to pass such consequential acts as, most notably, the One Big Beautiful Bill. A measured, balanced, and effective Speaker, he ensures President Trump's mandate is carried out in the legislative branch. 

The Howard Baker Award is the highest honor the Tennessee Republican Party bestows. It has been given intermittently throughout Statesmen's Dinner history and to the likes of Ted Welch, Justin Wilson, Bill Brock, Jim Ayers, Winfield Dunn, Fred Thompson and more. We are excited to welcome a new Howard Baker Award winner into the fold this year.
 
In 1994, the Tennessee Republican Party introduced the Statesman of the Year Award. An individual or couple from each congressional district is chosen to be honored as the district's Statesman of the Year based upon their service to the Republican Party. To date, over 300 Tennessee Republicans have been named Statesman of the Year. Nine more will be named this year.

In 2024, to mark thirty years since Tennessee's becoming majority Republican, we introduced the Legislator of the Year Award. The award recipient, alternating between a state representative and a state senator each year, demonstrates exemplary public service and strong adherence to Republican values.