Charles Bishop (Alabama senator)

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Charles Bishop

Member of the Alabama State Senate from the 5th district
In office 1983-1990, 2006 -

Political party	Republican
Spouse	Cynthia

Charles Bishop is a Republican member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 5th District since 2006. His district covers portions of Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston counties.

A former Democrat, Bishop served in the State Senate previously from 1983-1991. He ran unsuccessfully for his party’s nomination for governor in 1990 and 2002. He served as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry from 1999-2003. Bishop switched to the Republican Party before his most recent election in 2006. There is speculation he may choose to run for governor a third time, but in his previous two attempts he failed both times to garner more than 20 percent of the votes.

Bishop made national news in June 2007 when he hit fellow Senator Lowell Barron, a Democrat, while on the Senate floor. According to the Birmingham News Bishop claims that Barron called him a "son of a bitch" while the Senate was in recess during an "animated conversation." Bishop was offended by this, as he said "Were I lived, if someone called you that, they are talking about your mother." Bishop hit Barron in the face suddenly, and Barron fell back onto a desk. Bishop reported that he hit him with his right arm, hitting him anywhere. Patrick Harris, assistant secretary of the Senate, saw the attack and restrained Bishop.^[1]