James C. Fields

Rev. James C. Fields, Jr. is an African-American civil servant and minister in the United Methodist Church who served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2008 until 2010. A native of Colony, Alabama, Fields was the first African American to be a candidate for elective office in Cullman County, Alabama, which is predominantly white.[1]

Fields grew up on his family's small farm in Colony. After graduating from Hanceville High School, he attended Jacksonville State University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in law enforcement. Subsequently he served in the U.S. Marines, attending officer training at the Marine Corps Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and leaving with an honorable discharge.[2] He has worked for the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations for nearly three decades and is a minister at St. James United Methodist Church in Irondale, Alabama.[2] He and his wife Yvette have seven children and 13 grandchildren.[3]

He was elected as a Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives in a special election on January 29, 2008.[1] He was defeated for reelection in 2010 by fellow Methodist, minister Mac Buttram.[4]

In November 2013, Fields announced that he would be a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in the 2014 elections.[5] He ran in the Democratic primary uncontested and was defeated by incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey in the general election.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dawidoff, Nicholas (February 25, 2010). "Race in the South in the Age of Obama". New York Times.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "About". Fields for Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Project VoteSmart listing for James C. Fields, Jr (D)". Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  4. ↑ "Alabama House of Representatives - Representative James C. Fields, Jr (D)". Archived from the original on 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  5. ↑ Lockette, Tim (November 20, 2013). "Cullman County Democrat to enter Lt. Gov. race". Anniston Star.

External links