Charles Allen Graddick (December 10, 1944 in Mobile, Alabama) is Circuit Judge of Alabama's 13th District.

He attended the University of Alabama, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1967. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland School of Law in 1970, where he served as class president. He was elected District Attorney for Mobile County in 1975. Graddick served in the Alabama National Guard from 1969-1975. In 1979, Mr. Graddick was elected Attorney General for the state of Alabama and was re-elected to a second term in 1983.

The 1986 Democratic primary for the gubernatorial race saw Graddick in a runoff with then Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley. Graddick won by a few thousand votes, but the state Supreme Court ruled he had violated primary regulations by encouraging Republicans to “cross over” and vote as Democrats. The court told the Democratic Party to hold another election or pick Baxley. The party picked Baxley.

Alabamians, used to a one-party state where anybody and everybody could vote in a primary, were outraged and took out their frustrations by voting against Baxley and for H. Guy Hunt, the GOP nominee. Alabama got its first Republican governor since Reconstruction.

Hunt's election surprised many Alabamians since no living person had seen a Republican win the election for Alabama governor. The press paid little attention to the Republican gubenatorial primaries, fully expecting that the nominee would be the next loser in the general election.

Angry citizens could have voted for Graddick anyway, if he had carried through with the write-in campaign he set in motion shortly after his defeat was announced. But he didn’t. He quickly dropped the plan, a decision made easier (according to a recent history of the state) when some “wealthy businessmen and lobbyists” contributed $250,000 to help him pay off his campaign debt. Subsequently, Graddick switched to the Republican Party, where he has been ever since.

After the campaign for governor in 1986, he established a statewide law practice and at the request of the Governor in 1991 filled an unexpired term as District Attorney for Montgomery County, Alabama, returning to private practice in 1992. Gov. Bob Riley appointed Graddick to fill the post left vacant when 13th District Circuit Judge William McDermott died in May 2004.

Alabama politicians | United States District Court judges