Henry Eugene "Hank" Erwin Jr. (born April 2, 1949) is an American evangelical Christian. Erwin was a broadcaster and a former Republican State Senator from
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, representing the 14th District, from 2002 until 2010. He represented portions of
Jefferson Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
,
Shelby,
Bibb
Bibb may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Bibb County, Alabama
* Fort Bibb, Alabama, constructed in 1818
* Bibb City, Georgia, in Muscogee County
* Bibb County, Georgia
People
* Bibb (surname)
* Bibb (given name)
Ships
* , a Revenue Mari ...
and
Chilton counties.
Biography
Erwin was the son of
Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin Sr., a
U.S. Army Air Forces sergeant who earned the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He was born in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, and graduated from
Ensley High School
Ensley High School, located in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama (United States), was founded in 1901 to serve the then-independent community of Ensley, which was centered on major plants operated by U.S. Steel and the American Cas ...
in 1967, before going on to earn degrees at
Troy State University
Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...
(1972),
Southeastern Bible College
Southeastern Bible College was a private Christian Bible college in Birmingham, Alabama. The school's 22-acre campus was located in the suburbs south of the downtown Birmingham area. It was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher E ...
(1974), and the
Dallas Seminary
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension cam ...
(1981).
Erwin broke into broadcasting in the 1970s and served radio and TV stations in Dallas, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama, for almost 35 years. He was elected to the
Alabama Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.
Erwin and his wife, Shelia, have two sons, filmmakers
Andrew and Jon Erwin.
He received national media coverage in 2005 when he claimed that
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
was "the judgment of God" for "gambling, sin and wickedness" in
and along the
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
.
2010 Lt. Governor campaign
In April 2009, Erwin announced his plans to seek the position of
Alabama Lieutenant Governor against then-incumbent
Jim Folsom Jr.
James Elisha 'Jim' Folsom Jr. (born May 14, 1949) is an American politician who was the 50th governor of Alabama from April 22, 1993, to January 16, 1995. He has also served as the lieutenant governor of Alabama on two occasions. He is a member ...
Kay Ivey
Kay Ellen Ivey (born October 15, 1944) is an American politician serving as the 54th and incumbent governor of Alabama since 2017. Originally a conservative Southern Democrat, Ivey became a member of the Republican Party in 2002. She was the 38t ...
announced a switch from the governor's race to the lieutenant governor's race on March 31, 2010. Ivey defeated both Erwin and
Daphne
Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater.
There are several versions of the myth in whi ...
schoolteacher Gene Ponder by a significant margin in the June 1, 2010 primary.
Ivey went on to be elected as lieutenant governor and was sworn in as governor in 2017 after Governor
Robert J. Bentley's resignation.
References
External links
Senator Henry E. "Hank" Erwin Jr.archived profile at Alabama legislature
Senator Hank Erwinarchived personal website
Senator Henry E. 'Hank' Erwin Jr. (AL)profile at Project Vote Smart
Hank Erwin political campaign contributions at "Follow the Money"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erwin, Hank
Alabama state senators
1949 births
Living people
Dallas Theological Seminary alumni
Southwestern Christian University alumni