(The Center Square) – Tennessee state Rep. G.A. Hardaway died Friday morning at Vanderbilt University Hospital after a brief illness, according to a statement from his family.
He was 71.
The Memphis Democrat was first elected to the House of Representatives in a 2007 special election for District 92 and served that district until he was elected to the District 93 post from 2013 to the current session.
He served as the chairman of the Shelby County Legislative Democratic Caucus and was the former chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators.
House Minority Leader Karen Camper called Hardaway’s death a deeply painful day for herself and the Democratic Caucus.
“G.A. had a way about him that you cannot teach,” Camper said. “He was strong but gentle, firm in his convictions yet kind in his spirit. He carried the weight of this work with grace, and he never forgot where he came from or whom he was sent here to serve. I leaned on him more times than I can count, and I know so many others did too.”
Others from both sides of the aisle offer tributes to Hardaway.
“For years, state Representative G.A. Hardaway served with integrity, fighting to ensure every Tennessean had a voice in their government,” said Rachel Campbell, chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. “His legacy is defined not only by his leadership in the Legislature, but by the way he showed up for his community each and every day. He led with heart, treated everyone with dignity, and never lost sight of who he was fighting for.”
House Majority Caucus Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, called Hardaway a dear friend.
“In a time when politics is polarizing, we worked together on trying to make every community in Tennessee safe,” Lamberth said in a social media post. “We laughed and fought and just figured things out with mutual respect. He will be sorely missed.”
In the last moments of the 2026 General Assembly, the House unanimously passed a resolution honoring Hardaway for his service.
No one has qualified for Hardaway’s seat for the August primary, according to the secretary of state’s office.
