Katherine Tate

**Katherine Theresa Tate** (née **Winningham**; born December 16, 1945) is an American politician and nurse serving as the junior U.S. Senator from Alabama since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 46th district, from 1990 to 2001.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Tate grew up in nearby Mountain Brook, Alabama and graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 1964. After graduating, Tate moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to attend the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama, graduating with a nursing degree in 1968. She subsequently returned to Mountain Brook, and later worked as a registered nurse at Children's of Alabama pediatric hospital in Birmingham. Tate left her job as a nurse in 1973, in order to prioritize motherhood, but later returned to nursing in 1982 at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. She left nursing again in 1990, in order to begin her political career.

Tate began her political career in 1989, being elected to the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 46th district. She served for two-and-a-half terms, before announcing her candidacy for United States Senate in 1999. She went on to win the Republican nomination, and then easily won the general election. Tate was sworn into the Senate on January 3, 2001. She was later reelected for subsequent terms in 2006, 2012, and 2018.

## Early life and family

Tate was born on December 16, 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama to parents Alexander Winningham (1904–1987) and Patricia Lennox Winningham (1910–2008). Her father was an attorney who also owned and operated a number of Birmingham stores and supermarkets, while her mother was a homemaker and socialite in Birmingham social circles. Both of Tate's parents came from long lines of the Birmingham upper-class, with each tracking their ancestry to Southern elite in the 17th-century. Tate is of English ancestry and was raised a Southern Baptist. When she was two years old, the family moved to the affluent Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, Alabama. She is the youngest of three daughters; her elder sisters include Elizabeth, born  (1940-08-03) August 3, 1940 (age 83), and Mary, born  (1943-06-02) June 2, 1943 (age 80).

## Education and nursing career

Tate began her education in 1952, attending public schooling. She began high school in 1960, attending Mountain Brook High School. In high school, Tate was a popular student; she was a member of the varsity gymnastics team, served as secretary of her school's branch of the Young Republicans, and was elected prom queen in her senior year. Tate graduated from high school in 1964, and later moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to attend the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama. While a student at the University of Alabama, Tate became a member of the Phi Mu (ΦΜ) sorority. Tate competed in the Miss Alabama USA pageant in 1965, 1966, and 1967; she placed as a runner-up in each competition. Tate graduated with her nursing degree in 1968, and subsequently returned to Mountain Brook.

After graduating, Tate began working as a pediatric nurse at Children's of Alabama pediatric hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Tate left her job as a nurse in 1973, in order to prioritize motherhood, but later returned to nursing in 1982 at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. She left nursing again in 1990, in order to begin her political career.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Katherine Tate.*

## Personal life

Tate began a relationship with attorney and business executive Andrew Tate in 1967. They were engaged the following year, and later married in 1969. Shortly after marrying, they purchased a seven-bedroom home in Mountain Brook, Alabama. They have five daughters together: Eloise, born  (1972-10-13) October 13, 1972 (age 51), Raquel, born  (1974-05-09) May 9, 1974 (age 49), Courtney, born  (1976-07-23) July 23, 1976 (age 47), Kimberley, born  (1978-09-01) September 1, 1978 (age 45), and Annalynn, born  (1980-03-12) March 12, 1980 (age 43).

Tate is a devout Southern Baptist, attending church weekly. The family owns two residences: their home in Mountain Brook and a six-bedroom home in Potomac, Maryland, valued at $3.6 million.