Kirk Hatcher (born 1964/1965) is an American politician from the state of

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 ...

. He currently represents Alabama's 26th District in the

Alabama State Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district cont ...

. He is a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Education

Hatcher graduated from

Morehouse College , mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made") , type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college , academic_affiliations ...

in 1988 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in English Language and Literature. He later enrolled in

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

, where he earned a

Masters of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...

degree in Theology in 1997.

Career

After graduating from

Emory Emory may refer to: Places * Emory, Texas, U.S. * Emory (crater), on the moon * Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S. * Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S. Education * Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S. * Emory University ...

, Hatcher moved to

Rye, New York Rye is a coastal suburb of New York City in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the Town of Rye, which has more land area than the city. The City of Rye, formerly the Village of Rye, was part of the Town until it r ...

, where he worked as an English teacher at Rye County Day School. After resigning his position in 2015, he moved back to his hometown,

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, where he worked in community organization. In 2018, he ran for a position in the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contai ...

in District 78, which covers downtown Montgomery. He came in 2nd place in the initial Democratic primary election held on June 5, 2018, winning 37.6% of the vote and causing a runoff. In the runoff held 2 months later, Hatcher defeated incumbent Representative

Alvin Holmes Alvin Adolf Holmes (October 26, 1939 – November 21, 2020) was an American politician who served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 78th District from 1974 to 2018. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was Africa ...

by 17.4%. Hatcher decisively defeated his independent opponent, Tijuanna Adetunji, in the November general election with 83.4% to her 16.3%. Hatcher's success was backed by several lobbying groups, including the

Alabama Education Association The Alabama Education Association (AEA) is a statewide professional organization that represents public school employees in the state of Alabama. It is based in the state capital of Montgomery. The AEA is the largest education association in Ala ...

, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Alabama Bankers Association, Alabama Forestry Association, and Alabama Rural Electricity Association. After the resignation of Senator David Burkette, Hatcher ran for the empty seat in the Alabama Senate's District 26. He won the initial open primary with 47.9% of votes, nearly avoiding a runoff. In the runoff, Hatcher triumphed over his opponent, John Knight, winning with 74.2% of the vote. In the general election, Hatcher defeated Republican William Green with over 78% of votes cast.

Committee Positions

Hatcher is a member of the Banking and Insurance, Education Policy, Tourism, and Transportation and Energy Committees.

Elections

Alabama House of Representatives District 78

2018 Democratic Primary

2018 Democratic Runoff

2018 General Election

Alabama State Senate District 26

2020 Democratic Primary

2020 Democratic Runoff

2020 General Election

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatcher, Kirk 1960s births Democratic Party Alabama state senators Emory University alumni Living people Morehouse College alumni Year of birth missing (living people)