Kenneth Paschal
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenneth Paschal (born December 9, 1966) is an American politician from the state of Alabama. A member of the Republican Party, Paschal was elected to represent District 73 in the Alabama House of Representatives in a July 2021 special election.[2] He is the first black Republican elected to the Alabama Legislature in almost 140 years,[3] and the first to serve in the state legislature since W. P. Williams of Madison County served a two-year term from 1882 to 1884.[4]
Kenneth Paschal | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 73rd district | |
| Assumed office July 14, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Fridy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Lavoyd Paschal[1] December 9, 1966 |
| Party | Republican |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1985–2006 |
| Rank | First Sergeant |
Career
Paschal served 21 years in the United States Army, retiring in 2006 as a first sergeant.[5][6][7]
Paschal worked with the Alabama Family Rights Association.[7] He also served on the Shelby County Republican Executive Committee and was a commander of the American Legion.[5][6]
Paschal ran for state representative following Matt Fridy's resignation in order to join the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.[6][7] Among his other positions, Paschal campaigned against critical race theory.[6] He won the special election on July 13, 2021, becoming the first black Republican elected to the Alabama Legislature since the Reconstruction era.[6][7] Paschal was sworn in the following day.[8]
Personal life
Paschal lives in Pelham, Alabama.[5] He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Pelham.[7]
