By Alabama Public Radio
Boston, MA – The Democratic Convention starts Monday in Boston...and 62 delegates and two representatives from Alabama will be on hand and serving active roles. The representatives are on each of the convention's major committees. Doris Crenshaw and Lamar Higgins, both of Montgomery are on credentials; state Representative Linda Coleman of Birmingham and Jim Spearman of Sulligent are on platform; and Hattie Clark of Prichard and John Haley of Vestavia Hills are on rules. Decatur lawyer Bryan Oakes and Steven Reed of Montgomery will be pages. The delegation's members were either elected in the June primary or chosen by the party executive committee. Of the 31 men and 31 women...about half are Alabama Education Association members and a majority are black. Almost half the delegates are also elected officials. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Alabama since Jimmy Carter in 1976.