About
Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) was first sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2021, representing Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District. She ran for reelection in 2022 with Trump’s endorsement and won in her solidly Republican district.
A native of east Tennessee, Harshbarger was the first in her family to graduate from high school and earn a college degree. She worked as a pharmacist for three decades before running for Congress—her first bid for public office—in 2020.
In the House, Harshbarger is a member of the ultra-conservative Republican Study Committee. After the 2020 presidential election, she helped spread the Big Lie by casting doubt on the legitimacy of the process, objected to certifying President Biden’s Electoral College win and voted against both impeaching Trump for inciting the mob and establishing a special House committee to investigate the insurrection, among other measures.
January 6, 2021
- On Dec. 31, 2020, Harshbarger announced that she would vote against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, tweeting that she was “ready to fight for Tennessee and our Country.”
- Just hours after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Harshbarger joined 146 other congressional Republicans in refusing to certify Biden’s win of the 2020 presidential election.
- Harshbarger voted against impeaching Trump for his role in instigating the attack on Congress and the Capitol, and fanning the flames once the riot broke out. In a prepared statement, she wrote: “I strongly oppose invoking the 25th Amendment and impeaching the President. After the atrocities on January 6th, President Trump announced his full support for a peaceful transition of power.” In August 2021, she called on Congress to impeach Biden based on the “disastrous withdrawal” from Afghanistan
- On May 19, 2021, Harshbarger voted against establishing a House committee to investigate the attack on the Capitol.
The Big Lie
- On Nov. 29, 2020, Harshbarger thanked Trump on Twitter “for fighting to make sure our elections are free and fair.” And she urged her followers to help spread the Big Lie by adding: “Retweet if you stand with our President!”
- On Dec. 15, 2020, she signed a letter with 25 other House members-elect calling on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to investigate presidential election irregularities.
- In justifying her vote against certification, Harshbarger tweeted that “thousands of witnesses have submitted sworn affidavits of reported fraud related to the 2020 presidential election.”