Don Cravins Jr.

Donald R. Cravins Jr. (born July 31, 1972), is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana.

Cravins first sought elected office in 2004. On November 2, 2004, he was elected state representative for District 40 in a runoff election where he received 54% of the vote.[2] When he was elected, he and his father, then state Senator Don Cravins, Sr., made Louisiana history by becoming the first father and son duo to serve in the Louisiana Legislature at the same time. In 2006, Cravins' father resigned from the Louisiana State Senate to become Mayor of Opelousas. Cravins Jr. ran unopposed to fill the unexpired term.[3] In the October 20, 2007 election, Don Cravins Jr. was re-elected to the Louisiana State Senate and garnered 74 percent of the vote.[4] He represented Senate District 24 from December 2006 until January 2009.

In 2006, Cravins was selected to serve as King Toussaint L'Ouverture, XLVIII by the Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival, Inc. in Lafayette, Louisiana.[5]

In the 2008 congressional elections, Cravins unsuccessfully ran as the Democratic candidate for Louisiana's 7th congressional district seat held by Republican U.S. Representative Charles Boustany Jr. In addition to Boustany, Cravins faced Constitution Party candidate Peter Vidrine. Boustany won the match.

In a letter dated January 4, 2009, Cravins announced his resignation as state senator to take a position as Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.[6] Cravins also served as chief of staff to United States Senator Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from New Orleans from 2013 to 2015.[7]

In 2015, Cravins was named the Deputy National Political Director for The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.[8] On July 7, 2015, he was named the National Urban League’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Executive Director of National Urban League Washington Bureau. As such, he will be responsible for the Urban League Policy Institute, with primary responsibility for developing the League’s policy, research and advocacy agenda and expanding its impact and influence inside the beltway. He will also be devoted to the League’s mission to empower communities through education and economic development.[9]

In addition to his employment at the National Urban League, Cravins is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University. Cravins also serves as a Judge Advocate in the Washington DC Army National Guard.[10]