John Edward Grenier (August 24, 1930 – November 6, 2007) was a figure in the 1964 presidential campaign of

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...

. Grenier is one of the figures credited with using the

Southern Strategy In American politics, the Southern strategy was a Republican Party electoral strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans. As the civil rights movement and dismantling of ...

in that campaign and one of the figures responsible for the rise of the Republican Party in

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 ...

. Grenier ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

against

John Sparkman John Jackson Sparkman (December 20, 1899 – November 16, 1985) was an American jurist and politician from the state of Alabama. A Southern Democrat, Sparkman served in the United States House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946 and the United S ...

. Grenier only won 39 percent of the vote but it was the highest percentage of the vote that anybody had won against Sparkman in Sparkman's Senate career. Grenier was also involved in campaign of Alabama Republican

Guy Hunt Harold Guy Hunt (June 17, 1933 – January 30, 2009) was an American politician, pastor, and convicted felon who served as the 49th governor of Alabama from 1987 to 1993. He was the first Republican to serve as governor of the state since Rec ...

and the controversies which followed Hunt during his term in office. Grenier also worked as a litigator for Lange Simpson Robinson and Somerville, one of the oldest and most distinguished law firms in Birmingham Alabama, for many years. Grenier died of lung cancer on November 6, 2007, in a hospital in Houston, Texas.

References

1930 births 2007 deaths Alabama politicians People from New Orleans Alabama Republicans People from Birmingham, Alabama Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Texas {{Alabama-politician-stub