David P. Lewis

David Peter Lewis (1820 Charlotte County, Virginia – July 3, 1884) was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama, having served from 1872 to 1874. After his term expired, a Republican was not be elected again as governor of Alabama for 119 years. In 1861, Lewis was a delegate to the Confederate Provisional Congress. In 1868, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

In 1869, Lewis joined the Republican Party. As a well-known North Alabama Unionist who nevertheless did support the Confederacy, he was an attractive candidate for governor and won decisively over the Democrat Thomas H. Herndon. The 1872 election was highly controversial and conflicting election returns resulted in the seating of two different legislatures controlled by each party. During Lewis' term unsuccessful attempts were made to pass civil rights legislation which would have barred discrimination on common carriers and in hotels, schools, and theaters. The impact of the Panic of 1873 as well as the civil rights controversies led to Lewis' defeat in 1874. He later unsuccessfully sought an appointment to the federal bench. Disillusioned by politics, he returned to the practice of law in Huntsville, where he is interred at Maple Hill Cemetery.

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Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Alabama Governors W. Bibb T. Bibb Pickens Murphy G. Moore S. Moore Gayle Clay McVay Bagby Fitzpatrick Martin Chapman Collier Winston A. Moore Shorter Watts Parsons Patton Swayne Smith Lindsay Lewis Houston Cobb E. A. O'Neal Seay T. Jones Oates Johnston Samford Jelks Comer E. O'Neal Henderson Kilby Brandon Graves Miller Graves Dixon Sparks Folsom Sr. Persons Folsom Sr. Patterson G. Wallace L. Wallace Brewer G. Wallace James G. Wallace Hunt Folsom Jr. James Siegelman Riley Bentley Lieutenant Governors Applegate Moren McKinstry Ligon Cunningham Gray Seed Kilby Miller McDowell Davis Merrill Knight Carmichael Ellis Inzer Allen Hardwick Boutwell Allen Brewer Beasley McMillan B. Baxley Folsom Siegelman Windom L. Baxley Folsom Ivey