Bryan Terry (born October 27, 1968) is an American doctor and politician from the state of Tennessee. A Republican, he has represented the 48th district of the Tennessee House of Representatives, based in eastern Murfreesboro, since 2015. He is the only Native American serving in the chamber.
Early Life: Terry was born in Oklahoma, where he went into his family’s auto salvage business. After attending the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Terry worked as a doctor in both Oklahoma and Tennessee, including caring for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
Career: In 2014, Joe Carr, the representative for the 48th district of the Tennessee House of Representatives, announced he would challenge Senator Lamar Alexander in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Despite being outspent, Terry won a highly contested primary to succeed Carr, earning 34% of the vote to his two opponents’ 33%. Terry went on to win the general election easily. He has not faced significant opposition since in his heavily Republican seat, winning handily in 2016 and 2018.
In 2023, Terry supported a resolution to expel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules. The expulsion was widely characterized as unprecedented.
Personal Life: Terry lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, Cheryl, and their two children. He is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation.
