Merika Coleman

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Merika Coleman-Evans (born September 6, 1973 in Lakenheath, Suffolk, England) represents District 57 in the Alabama House of Representatives and an assistant professor of political science at Miles College.

Merika Coleman was born at the Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath. She completed a bachelor of arts in mass communication and a master's in public administration at UAB while working as a public policy analyst and strategist for nonprofits. She served as an adjunct instructor of government, and as director of community and economic development for Lawson State Community College; and as director of economic and community development for the City of Bessemer. Later she joined the faculty of Miles College as an assistant professor of political science.

Coleman was first elected to represent District 57 in 2002 and was reelected in 2006, 2010 and 2014. In 2009 she lost to Priscilla Dunn in a run-off to fill the Alabama Senate District 19 seat left vacant after the criminal conviction of E. B. McClain.

In 2010 Coleman filed legislation that amended the Mayor-Council Act of 1955 cycle so that the offices of the Mayor of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council would be filled in the same election, rather than on alternating two-year cycle. She also co-sponsored the Williams-Coleman Human Trafficking Act, giving state and local law enforcement agencies more scope to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.

In 2021 Coleman chaired the "Joint Interim Legislative Committee On The Recompilation Of The Constitution" which oversaw the reformatting of the 1901 Alabama Constitution into the 2022 Alabama Constitution.

Coleman easily survived challenges from Louise Alexander in the 2022 Democratic primary, and from Libertarian Party candidate Danny Wilson in the 2022 general election. In 2023 session she co-sponsored Senate Bill 154, which narrowed the conditions under which judges could revoke driver's licenses from individuals charged with crimes who fail to appear or to pay fines or fees. In the 2024 session she introduced several amendments limiting the scope of the state's Anti-DEI law.

In the 2024 Democratic primary, Coleman was one of 11 candidates who ran for the Democratic nomination for the open seat in the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama, redrawn as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Allen v. Milligan. She finished fourth in that race.

Coleman has served on the board of Greater Birmingham Ministries and the Women Legislators' Lobby and is a founding member of the Midfield Voters' League. She and her husband, Edward Evans, have two children, Elexia and Xaviar.

Preceded by:
Tommie Houston 		Alabama State Representative, District 57
2002–2022 		Succeeded by:
Patrick Sellers
Preceded by:
Priscilla Dunn 		Alabama State Senator, District 19
2022–present 		Succeeded by:
present

References

External links

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