Russell McWhortor Cunningham (August 25, 1855 – June 6, 1921) was an American
Democratic politician who was the acting
Governor of Alabama
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
from April 25, 1904, to March 5, 1905. He was lieutenant governor when Governor
William D. Jelks fell ill and left the state for treatment, and since the Alabama Constitution requires that if the governor leave the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor must act as governor until their return.
Although he was de jure only an interim chief of the state administration, because he served as Acting Governor for nearly a year, he is regarded as one of the Alabama Governor by the state government, and his portrait hanging along other Governor's portrait, as well as he figured on official state site alongside them. Cunningham is buried in
Elmwood Cemetery.
Cunningham served 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 ...
1880–1881. In 1896–1900, he served 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 ...
and was president of the senate. He also served in the Alabama Constitutional Convention of 1901.
Alabama Governor-Russell Cunningham
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1855 births
1921 deaths
Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives
Democratic Party Alabama state senators
Democratic Party governors of Alabama
Lieutenant Governors of Alabama
People from Lawrence County, Alabama
Physicians from Alabama
Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama)
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