Sabi "Doc" Kumar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theTennessee House of Representatives from the 66th district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Joshua Evans |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-07-14)July 14, 1947 (age 78) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Linda |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Springfield, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Miami |
| Occupation | Politician, surgeon |
Sarbjeet S. Kumar (born July 14, 1947) is anIndian–American politician and physician. A member of theRepublican Party, Kumar, a retired surgeon, has been a member of theTennessee House of Representatives from the 66th district since 2015, representingRobertson County. He chairs the House Insurance Committee, and is the firstIndian American to be elected to the Tennessee State House.[1]
Kumar immigrated to the United States from India in 1970. He completed hismedical residency andfellowship working inMiami from 1971 to 1977,[2] when he moved toSpringfield, Tennessee, where he continued his career as a surgeon.[3]
Kumar holds the patent for a clamp device, sometimes called the "Kumar clamp", used ingallbladder surgeries.[4]
In 2014, Kumar ran for theTennessee House of Representatives' 66th district after incumbent RepresentativeJoshua Evans decided to run for theTennessee Senate. Kumar won the Republican primary on August 7, 2014, with 43% of the vote.[5] On November 4, 2014, Kumar won the General Election unopposed.[6] Kumar was re-elected in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. His current term ends in 2027.
In 2023, Kumar supported a resolution toexpel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules during a pro-gun control protest in theState Capitol Building. The expulsion was widely characterized as unprecedented.[7][8] Prior to his expulsion vote, DemocratJustin Jones accused Kumar of putting a "brown face towhite supremacy;" Kumar also stated that Jones had pointed in his face and told him, "Kumar, they will never accept you."[9]
Kumar ran as a pledged delegate forNikki Haley in the2024 Tennessee Republican presidential primary.[10]
In the 2015 legislative session, Rep. Kumar did not serve on any committees.
In the 2017 legislative session, Rep. Kumar served on the following committees: Education Instruction and Programs and Health (vice chair).
In the 2019–2020 legislative session, Rep. Kumar served on the following committees: Finance, Ways, and Means Committee and the Health Committee.
In the 2021–2022 legislative session, Rep. Kumar served on the following committees: Calendar and Rules Committee, Health Committee, and the Insurance Committee (chair).
Kumar lives in Springfield, Tennessee, with his wife Linda, and has a daughter named Nina. Prior to his retirement from the medical practice, he worked as a surgeon at the NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield.[2] He is aMethodist.