Jimmy Womack facts for kids

Reverend James Womack (born November 30, 1953) is an American politician and a retired doctor from Detroit, Michigan. In 2008, he was elected to represent the people of the 7th District in the Michigan State House of Representatives. This is like being a lawmaker for a part of Michigan. The 7th District is in north-central Detroit and includes areas like Bagley and University District. With his late wife, Dr. Sophie Womack, Jimmy Womack started a group called Coalition Inc. This group helps African-American families and children in Detroit by working to improve their lives and stop violence at home.

About Jimmy Womack

Jimmy Womack was born on November 30, 1953, in Washington, D.C.. He went to Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and earned his first degree in 1976. Later, he studied medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and became a doctor in 1982.

His Medical Career

Dr. Womack specialized in anesthesiology, which is the medical field focused on pain relief during surgery. He worked as a doctor in the Detroit area from 1982 to 1995. His wife, Dr. Sophie Womack, was also a very important doctor. She led the department that cared for newborn babies at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit. Later, she became the President of the staff at Detroit Medical Center from 2004 to 2006. She was the first woman and the first African-American person to hold that important job.

Becoming a Minister and Helping the Community

In 1995, Dr. Womack stopped working full-time as a doctor. He decided to study to become a minister. In 1998, he became an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He and his wife, Sophie, started a non-profit group called Coalition Inc. This organization works to make life better for people in the Detroit community. Sadly, his wife Sophie passed away in 2008 due to complications from surgery.

Jimmy Womack's Political Journey

Before becoming a state representative, Jimmy Womack served as the President of the Detroit Board of Education. This board helps manage the public schools in Detroit.

Running for State House

In 2008, Womack decided to run for the 7th State House Seat as a Democrat. The person holding the seat at that time was Virgil Smith, Jr.. A lot of other Democrats also wanted the job, 16 of them! But Jimmy Womack won the primary election, getting 24% of the votes. He beat his closest opponent by more than 300 votes. Because the 7th District usually votes strongly for Democrats (for example, President Obama won over 95% of the votes there), Womack did not have a Republican opponent in the main election in November. This meant he won the seat.

His Work in the State House

As a member of the State House, Jimmy Womack worked on several important committees. These committees help make decisions about different areas for the state of Michigan. He was part of the:

• Families and Children's Services Committee, which focuses on helping families and kids.
• Commerce Committee, dealing with business and trade.
• Health Policy Committee, which works on healthcare rules.
• Insurance Committee, looking at insurance policies.
• Urban Policy Committee, focusing on issues in cities.