Larry Dixon (politician)

Larry Dean Dixon (August 31, 1942 – December 4, 2020) was an American politician who was a Republican member of the Alabama Senate. He was a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1978 through 1982.[1]

Larry Dixon
Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 25th district
In office
January 3, 1984 – January 4, 2011
Preceded byE. C. "Crum" Foshee
Succeeded byDick Brewbaker
Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 27th district
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1984
Preceded byBishop N. Barron
Succeeded byT. D. Little
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 81st district
In office
November 8, 1978 – November 3, 1982
Preceded byJames D. Harris Jr.
Succeeded byHam Wilson Jr.
Personal details
Born(1942-08-31)August 31, 1942
Nowata, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedDecember 4, 2020(2020-12-04) (aged 78)
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (1978–1983)
Republican (1983–2020)
SpouseGaynell
ProfessionExecutive Director, Alabama Board of Medical Examiners

Alabama Senate career

Dixon represented the 25th District from 1983 to 2010.[2][3][4] He did not seek re-election in 2010 and retired from elective politics.

In 1982, as a Democrat in District 81, he defeated later District 73 Representative Perry O. Hooper Jr., of Montgomery. Just a few months after being sworn into the state senate, Dixon switched parties and became a Republican. Regardless of party affiliation, Dixon never had any trouble at the ballot box. His lowest margin was 74 percent in what would be his last bid for reelection, one of only four times that he even faced opposition during his four decades in the capital.

From 1981 until 2016, he was the chair of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.[5][6] He also served as a member of the Intergovernmental Advisory council on Education during the Reagan Administration.[5]

Dixon ran in the Republican primary for Alabama's 2nd congressional district in 1992 after longtime incumbent Bill Dickinson retired, and was initially the favorite for the nomination. However, he lost to newspaper publisher Terry Everett in what most considered an upset.

Death

Dixon died from COVID-19 in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 4, 2020, at the age of 78,[7][8] two weeks after an outdoor social gathering with others, at least two of whom had tested positive for the virus amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama.[9]

His last words were a warning for people to take the virus seriously, saying: "We messed up. We let our guard down. Please tell everybody to be careful. This is real, and if you get diagnosed, get help immediately."[10]

References
  1. "Our Campaigns - AL House 081 Race - Nov 07, 1978". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  2. "Our Campaigns - AL State Senate 27 Race - Nov 02, 1982". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  3. "Our Campaigns - AL State Senate 25 Race - Nov 08, 1983". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  4. "Our Campaigns - AL State Senate 25 Race - Nov 07, 2006". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  5. "Appointment of Five Members of the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Education". Ronald Reagan.
  6. "Larry Dixon Retiring as Head of State Board of Medical Examiners". December 28, 2016.
  7. WSFA Staff. "Former Alabama state Sen. Larry Dixon dies at 78". www.wsfa.com.
  8. "Former Alabama Sen. Larry Dixon died from COVID. His last words were a warning". al. December 6, 2020.
  9. "Larry Dean Dixon Obituary (1942 - 2020) Montgomery Advertiser". Legacy.com.
  10. Wong, Wilson (December 7, 2020). "Former Alabama state senator dies of Covid, warns in his last words, 'We messed up'". NBC News.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.