| Christopher John England was born on August 19, 1976, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he was raised and continues to reside. He comes from a family distinguished by public service, with his father, John H. England Jr., having served as a Tuscaloosa City Council member, a judge of the 6th Circuit Court in Alabama, and as a justice on the Alabama Supreme Court from 1999 to 2000. England's brother serves as a federal magistrate judge in the Northern District of Alabama.
England received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Political Science from Howard University in 1999, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2002. After graduating from law school, he began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney's Office, where he headed District Court prosecutions, represented the State of Alabama in dependency hearings, and presented cases to the Grand Jury. In 2004, England transitioned to the Office of the City Attorney for the City of Tuscaloosa, where he currently serves as an Associate City Attorney. In this role, he conducts training sessions for law enforcement on constitutional issues, drafts contracts and funding agreements, analyzes claims against the city, and defends Tuscaloosa in regulatory complaints from government agencies.
England entered politics in 2006 when he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives representing District 70 at the age of 29. He has been consistently reelected, running unopposed in several elections, including 2022 when he received 97% of the vote. Throughout his legislative career, England has served on numerous committees, including the House Judiciary Committee (as Ranking Minority Member), Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee, and the Tuscaloosa County Legislation Committee as Vice Chair. He also serves as a member of the Joint Legislative Prison Committee, the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Energy Policy, and the Contract Review Permanent Legislative Oversight Committee.
In December 2018, England was elected Caucus Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. On November 2, 2019, he made history by becoming the first African American to serve as Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, a position he held until 2022 when he announced he would not seek re-election. During his tenure as party chair, England led significant growth in the party's infrastructure, overseeing 7,458 volunteer shifts, 4.83 million voter contact attempts, and raising $6.86 million.
England has been active in sponsoring legislation throughout his career, including bills related to criminal justice reform, pardons and parole board procedures, and education funding. In 2023, he gained national attention for his vocal opposition to Alabama's congressional redistricting plan, which the Supreme Court ruled violated the Voting Rights Act by disproportionately disenfranchising Black voters. More recently, he has focused on education funding, filing bills to raise online sales tax to create additional revenue for schools.
In addition to his legislative and legal work, England is active in his community, serving on the Tuscaloosa Road Improvement Commission, co-chairing the Elevate Tuscaloosa Advisory Committee, and serving on the boards of the Police Athletic League and the Tuscaloosa Safe Center. He is married to Shea Cobb England, and they have three children- Kennedi, Autumn, and Christopher John England Jr. (CJ). The family attends Bailey Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa. |