| Rick Eldridge | |
| State House: | Tennessee |
| District: | 10th |
| Term Start: | January 8, 2019[1] |
| Predecessor: | Tilman Goins |
| Party: | Republican |
| Birth Date: | 12 July 1957[2] |
| Residence: | Morristown, Tennessee[3] |
| Nationality: | American |
Rick Eldridge (born July 12, 1957) is an American politician. He is a Republican representing Tennessee's 10th House District, which solely encompasses the Western portion of Hamblen County and Grainger County, in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Eldridge served as a Hamblen County commissioner for eight years, including two terms as chairman.[4]
In 2018, Eldridge ran for election to the District 10 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which was being vacated by Tilman Goins.[5] He defeated Tommy Pedigo in the Republican primary, and Democrat Barbara Simmons in the general election.
In 2020, Eldridge ran unopposed in both the Republican primary and general election, being re-elected on November 3, 2020 with 17,133 votes.
In August 2021, Eldridge joined all the state house Republicans in signing a letter to call for a special session to take action against schools requiring masks.[6] Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order allowing parents to opt students out of school mask mandates instead of calling the special session.[7] In October 2021, Eldridge voted in favor of a bill allowing partisan elections for school boards, which have traditionally been nonpartisan in Tennessee.[8] In December 2021, Eldridge voiced his opposition to the state's new redistricting plan that would split Hamblen County in half with District 10 in the west and District 11 in the east. He stated he would vote no on the plan.[9]
In 2023, Eldridge supported a resolution to expel Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules. The expulsion was widely characterized as unprecedented.[10]
As of December 2021, Eldridge sits on the following committees: