Henry Eugene "Hank" Erwin Jr. is an evangelical Christian. Erwin was a broadcaster and a former Republican State Senator in Alabama, USA, representing the 14th District, from 2002 until 2010. He represented portions of Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb and Chilton counties.
Biography
Erwin was the son of Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin Sr., a U.S. Army Air Forces sergeant who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from Ensley High School in 1967, before going on to earn degrees at Troy State University, Southeastern Bible College, and the Dallas Seminary. Erwin broke into broadcasting in the 1970s and served radio and TV stations in Dallas, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama, for almost 35 years. He was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He was a member of the Southern Baptist Church. Erwin and his wife, Sheila, have two sons, Andrew and Jon Erwin. Before their sons could drive a car, they wanted to make movies. Erwin and wife, Sheila, bought those video cameras and Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures began. Erwin says his two sons, four years apart in age, were only in junior high school. As teenagers, Jon and Andy Erwin honed their skills by shooting short films for a youth camp in New York and operating video cameras for ESPN. In 2015, the brothers made the film "Woodlawn". The film begins with Erwin, a composite character based on the filmmakers' father, speaking at Woodlawn High School on a day of high racial tension. Birmingham was called "Bombingham" due to the 50 dynamite explosions that occurred in the city between 1947 and 1965. "Hank", an outsider, asks to speak to the Woodlawn football team and real change begins. Hank, who has been radically affected by the message of hope and love he experienced at a Billy Graham Christian revival meeting in Dallas, Texas, tells the players a "better way" is possible through following Jesus. More than 40 players, nearly the entire team, black and white, give their lives over to Jesus Christ and the spiritual change has a profound effect on the coach, the school and the community. "Woodlawn" is the true story of how faith in God saved a city torn apart by racism.
In April 2009, Erwin announced his plans to seek the position of Alabama Lieutenant Governor against then-incumbent Jim Folsom Jr. He received the endorsement of the Alabama GOP Senate Caucus, eight city mayors, the Trussville Tea Party and the Cullman Tea Party, and Governor Bob Riley. Kay Ivey announced a switch from the governor's race to the lieutenant governor's race on March 31, 2010. Ivey defeated both Erwin and Daphne schoolteacher Gene Ponder by a significant margin in the June 1, 2010 primary. Ivey went on to be elected as lieutenant governor and was sworn in as governor in 2017 after Governor Robert J. Bentley's resignation.
