Christopher John England (born August 19, 1976) is an American politician and the former chair of the

Alabama Democratic Party The Alabama Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Randy Kelley. The Alabama Democratic Party was once one of the most successful political organizati ...

. He serves in the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

. England was the first black chairman of either major political party in the history of the state of Alabama.

Early life and education

England was born on August 19, 1976. His father, John H. England Jr., is a former judge of the 6th Circuit Court in Alabama, former Tuscaloosa City Council member, and served as a justice on the

Alabama Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is hous ...

from 1999 to 2000. England received his

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

from

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

and his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

. He is a member of the

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the ...

fraternity and has served on the board of directors of the Police Athletic League and PRIDE.

Career

England is a member of the

, representing the 70th District unopposed since 2006. In December 2018, England was elected caucus chair of the House Democratic Caucus. England also serves as Associate City Attorney in the City of Tuscaloosa, handling Claims, Franchise Agreements, and Tax Issues.

Voting Rights Act

In 2023, the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

ruled Alabama violated the

Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movem ...

with discriminatory congressional districts that disproportionately enfranchised White voters over Black voters. England voted in dissent of the discriminatory districts and condemned the

for letting the "dead bury the living" with the specter of racism, receiving national media attention.

References

1976 births 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American politicians African-American state legislators in Alabama Alabama Democratic Party chairs Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives Living people Politicians from Tuscaloosa, Alabama 21st-century members of the Alabama Legislature {{Alabama-politician-stub