| Kenneth Paschal | |
| State House: | Alabama |
| District: | 73rd |
| Term Start: | July 14, 2021 |
| Predecessor: | Matt Fridy |
| Birth Name: | Kenneth Lavoyd Paschal[1] |
| Birth Date: | 9 December 1966 |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Pelham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Allegiance: |  United States |
| Serviceyears: | 1985–2006 |
| Rank: | First Sergeant |
Kenneth Paschal (born December 9, 1966) is an American politician from the state of Alabama. A member of the Republican Party, Paschal was elected to represent District 73 in the Alabama House of Representatives in a July 2021 special election.[2] He is the first black Republican elected to the Alabama Legislature in almost 140 years,[3] and the first to serve in the state legislature since W. P. Williams of Madison County served a two-year term from 1882 to 1884.[4]
Paschal served 21 years in the United States Army, retiring in 2006 as a first sergeant.[5] [6] [7]
Paschal worked with the Alabama Family Rights Association.[7] He also served on the Shelby County Republican Executive Committee and was a commander of the American Legion.[5] [6]
Paschal ran for state representative following Matt Fridy's resignation in order to join the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.[6] [7] Among his other positions, Paschal campaigned against critical race theory.[6] He won the special election on July 13, 2021, becoming the first black Republican elected to the Alabama Legislature since the Reconstruction era.[6] [7] Paschal was sworn in the following day.[8]
Paschal lives in Pelham, Alabama.[5] He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Pelham.[7]