James C. Fields

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = James C. Fields

|state_house = Alabama

|district = 12th

|term_start = 2008

|term_end = 2010

|predecessor =

|successor = Mac Buttram

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|spouse = Yvette Fields

|children = 7

|education = Jacksonville State University

|website =

}}

James C. Fields Jr. is an 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28Alabama-t.html |title=Race in the South in the Age of Obama |first=Nicholas |last=Dawidoff |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 25, 2010}}

Early life and education

James 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.

Military service

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.{{cite web |url=http://fieldsforltgov.com/about/ |title=About |publisher=Fields for Lieutenant Governor |accessdate=January 20, 2014 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201193256/http://fieldsforltgov.com/about/ |url-status=dead }}

Alabama House of Representatives

James Fields was elected as a Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives in a special election on January 29, 2008. He was defeated for reelection in 2010 by fellow Methodist minister Mac Buttram.{{Cite web| url = http://www.legislature.state.al.us/HOUSE/representatives/housebios/hd012.html | title = Alabama House of Representatives — Representative James C. Fields, Jr (D) | accessdate = 2008-08-22 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215235218/http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/representatives/housebios/hd012.html | archivedate=2008-02-15 }}

Personal life

James Fields and his wife Yvette have seven children and 13 grandchildren.{{Cite web| url =http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=103153 | title = Project VoteSmart listing for James C. Fields, Jr (D) | accessdate = 2008-08-22}}

James Fields 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.

Elections

In November 2013, James Fields announced that he would be a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in the 2014 elections.{{cite news |url=http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/24092791/article-Cullman-County-Democrat-to-enter-Lt--Gov--race |title=Cullman County Democrat to enter Lt. Gov. race |first=Tim |last=Lockette |newspaper=Anniston Star |date=November 20, 2013 |access-date=January 20, 2014 |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202230143/http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/24092791/article-Cullman-County-Democrat-to-enter-Lt--Gov--race |url-status=dead }} He ran in the Democratic primary uncontested and was defeated by incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey in the general election.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2010 Alabama House of Representatives Election, District 12{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/voter-pdfs/2010/2010GeneralResults-AllStateAndFederalOfficesAndAmendments-CompleteWithWrite-inAppendix.pdf?_ga=2.38180963.1338773718.1650776008-107930499.1650776008|title=2010 Statewide Election Results|last=Chapman|first=Beth|date=November 22, 2010|access-date=April 24, 2022}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Mac Buttram

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 9,062

| percentage = 54.10%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = James C. Fields

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 7,667

| percentage = 45.78%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Write in

| party =

| votes = 20

| percentage = 0.12%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 16,749

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no change

| winner = Republican Party (United States)

| loser = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin

| title = 2014 Alabama Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/voter-pdfs/2014/2014GeneralResults-WithWriteIn.pdf?_ga=2.42243557.1338773718.1650776008-107930499.1650776008|title=2010 Official Results|last=Bennett|first=Jim|date=November 24, 2014|access-date=April 24, 2022}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Kay Ivey (incumbent)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 738,090

| percentage = 63.23%

| change = +11.76%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = James C. Fields

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 428,007