Artur Davis
Encyclopedia
Artur Genestre Davis is a former member of the United States House of Representatives
for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell
, also a member of the Democratic Party.
, and was raised by his mother and grandmother. He graduated from Jefferson Davis High School
and then magna cum laude from Harvard University
in 1990 and received his J.D.
cum laude from Harvard Law School
before returning to Alabama. He was the recipient of the Best Oralist Award in the esteemed Ames Moot Court Competition
at Harvard Law School.
After working as an intern at the Southern Poverty Law Center
and then as a civil rights lawyer, he served as an assistant United States Attorney.
Davis ran for the House in the Democratic primary against 10-year incumbent Earl F. Hilliard
. He criticized Hilliard for taking a trip to Libya
in 1997 despite U.S. sanctions, but Davis lost the 2000 election 58%-34%.
2002
Davis ran again in 2002 and was elected. He assumed office in January 2003. During the campaign, Hilliard notably questioned whether Davis was "black enough" to represent the district. Despite these attempts to divide the African-American vote, Davis defeated Hilliard narrowly in the primary, which required a runoff in June. He won the runoff easily, assuring him of victory in November in the heavily Democratic district.
2004
He was challenged in the 2004 primary by Albert Turner Jr., a son of a leader of Selma's "Bloody Sunday
" march and in the 2006 primary by political new-comer Eddison Walters. He easily won the challenges 88%-12% and 90%-9% respectively. He has only faced Republican
opposition once, in 2004; he won easily with 74 percent of the vote.
2008
In the new Democratically controlled 110th Congress
, Davis was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means
. The stature of that appointment, and the difficulty of raising sufficient funds, led Davis to postpone plans to challenge conservative Senator Jeff Sessions
in 2008. In January 2007, Davis said that he was still interested in running on a statewide ticket in 2010, either for Governor, or for Senate if Richard Shelby
elects to retire.
In 2007 he became the first Congressman outside Illinois to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president in 2008. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Davis gave a seconding speech formally placing Obama's name in nomination.
Davis's name surfaced in media speculation as a potential Attorney General in Obama's cabinet. However, Davis was quoted in The Birmingham News as stating that he did not anticipate such an offer, and would refuse it if made.
of the 109th Congress and was the co-chair of the centrist House New Democrat Coalition
, as well as the Southern Regional co-chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
.
As a freshman, he led the successful fight to reverse funding cuts for minority land grant colleges including Tuskegee University
. As a second term member, Congressman Davis won a floor fight to restore funding to the HOPE VI program for renovating public housing; he persuaded over sixty Republicans to vote with Democrats to save HOPE VI. In 2005, the congressman was the lead Democratic sponsor of a bill establishing a national cord blood bank, which will widen the availability of blood transfusions for thousands of patients who suffer from diseases such as sickle cell anemia and diabetes. He received an A– grade on his voting record relating to veteran issues from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
.
Davis was the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus
to demand that former House Ways and Means chair Charlie Rangel surrender his gavel in the wake of ongoing ethics issues.
Davis twice voted against Democratic-supported health care reform legislation, first in November 2009, and again in March 2010 when the legislation passed and was signed into law by President Obama. He was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus
to vote against the legislation in March 2010; he was also the member from the most-heavily Democratically-leaning district to vote against the legislation.
Caucuses
.
During the primary campaign, Davis downplayed matters of race and emphasized his independence from Democratic party orthodoxy. He caused controversy, including within his heavily minority congressional district, by voting against President Barack Obama's new health-care law—the only black Democrat in Congress to do so. He also refused to sit for the endorsement screenings of Alabama's black political groups, drawing criticism from some that he was an opportunist in search of white votes. As a result, he became described as "the first African-American candidate in a statewide Alabama race to lose the black vote."
On June 1, 2010, Davis lost the Democratic primary to Sparks, ending his gubernatorial bid. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from politics and would return to private practice at the conclusion of his 2009-2011 term. Davis was succeeded in Congress by fellow Democrat Terri Sewell
, the first African-American woman elected to the United House of Representatives from Alabama.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell
Terri Sewell
Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party and the first black woman elected to Congress from Alabama...
, also a member of the Democratic Party.
Early life, education, and early career
Davis was born and raised in Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, and was raised by his mother and grandmother. He graduated from Jefferson Davis High School
Jefferson Davis High School (Montgomery, Alabama)
Jefferson Davis High School is public high school with grades 9 through 12 located in Montgomery, Alabama. The principal is Cheryl Fountain-Notable Alumni:Hosea Chanchez, actor, plays Malik Wright on The Game Jefferson Davis High School is public high school with grades 9 through 12 located in...
and then magna cum laude from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1990 and received his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
cum laude from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
before returning to Alabama. He was the recipient of the Best Oralist Award in the esteemed Ames Moot Court Competition
Ames Moot Court Competition
The Ames Moot Court Competition is the annual upper level moot court competition at Harvard Law School. It is designed and administered by the Board of Student Advisers and has been in existence since 1911.-Format and History:...
at Harvard Law School.
After working as an intern at the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
and then as a civil rights lawyer, he served as an assistant United States Attorney.
Elections
2000Davis ran for the House in the Democratic primary against 10-year incumbent Earl F. Hilliard
Earl F. Hilliard
Earl Frederick Hilliard is a politician from the U.S. state of Alabama.Hilliard was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from Morehouse College. He was elected as a Democrat to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1974 and served from 1975 until 1981 and in the Alabama Senate from 1981...
. He criticized Hilliard for taking a trip to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in 1997 despite U.S. sanctions, but Davis lost the 2000 election 58%-34%.
2002
Davis ran again in 2002 and was elected. He assumed office in January 2003. During the campaign, Hilliard notably questioned whether Davis was "black enough" to represent the district. Despite these attempts to divide the African-American vote, Davis defeated Hilliard narrowly in the primary, which required a runoff in June. He won the runoff easily, assuring him of victory in November in the heavily Democratic district.
2004
He was challenged in the 2004 primary by Albert Turner Jr., a son of a leader of Selma's "Bloody Sunday
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
" march and in the 2006 primary by political new-comer Eddison Walters. He easily won the challenges 88%-12% and 90%-9% respectively. He has only faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opposition once, in 2004; he won easily with 74 percent of the vote.
2008
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
, Davis was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means
United States House Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
. The stature of that appointment, and the difficulty of raising sufficient funds, led Davis to postpone plans to challenge conservative Senator Jeff Sessions
Jeff Sessions
Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...
in 2008. In January 2007, Davis said that he was still interested in running on a statewide ticket in 2010, either for Governor, or for Senate if Richard Shelby
Richard Shelby
Richard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
elects to retire.
Davis's name surfaced in media speculation as a potential Attorney General in Obama's cabinet. However, Davis was quoted in The Birmingham News as stating that he did not anticipate such an offer, and would refuse it if made.
Tenure
Davis was appointed to the Senior Whip Team for the Democratic CaucusDemocratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives
The House Democratic Caucus nominates and elects the Democratic Party leadership in the United States House of Representatives. The group is composed of all Democratic Representatives in the House...
of the 109th Congress and was the co-chair of the centrist House New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as moderate and pro-growth. A July 2009 Press release described the organization as "the largest moderate coalition in the U.S...
, as well as the Southern Regional co-chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
.
As a freshman, he led the successful fight to reverse funding cuts for minority land grant colleges including Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
. As a second term member, Congressman Davis won a floor fight to restore funding to the HOPE VI program for renovating public housing; he persuaded over sixty Republicans to vote with Democrats to save HOPE VI. In 2005, the congressman was the lead Democratic sponsor of a bill establishing a national cord blood bank, which will widen the availability of blood transfusions for thousands of patients who suffer from diseases such as sickle cell anemia and diabetes. He received an A– grade on his voting record relating to veteran issues from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America , is an advocacy group dedicated to United States veterans of the War in Iraq and War in Afghanistan. The group claims to be the nation's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars and has more than 200,000 Member Veterans...
.
Davis was the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
to demand that former House Ways and Means chair Charlie Rangel surrender his gavel in the wake of ongoing ethics issues.
Davis twice voted against Democratic-supported health care reform legislation, first in November 2009, and again in March 2010 when the legislation passed and was signed into law by President Obama. He was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
to vote against the legislation in March 2010; he was also the member from the most-heavily Democratically-leaning district to vote against the legislation.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
- Subcommittee on Social SecurityUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social SecurityThe Subcommittee on Social Security is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules...
- Subcommittee on Income Security and Family SupportUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family SupportThe Subcommittee on Human Resources is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives. From 2007 to 2011, it was known as the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support...
- Subcommittee on Social Security
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States House Committee on the JudiciaryThe U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
- Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland SecurityUnited States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland SecurityThe House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is a subcommittee within the House Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
Caucuses
- 30 Something Working Group30 Something Working GroupThe "30 Something" Working Group is composed of ten members of the United States House of Representatives Democratic caucus, some of whom are under the age of forty...
- Congressional Black CaucusCongressional Black CaucusThe Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
2010 Gubernatorial bid
On February 6, 2009, Davis announced his candidacy for Governor of Alabama in 2010. His opponent in the Democratic primary was Agriculture Commissioner Ron SparksRon Sparks (politician)
Ronald D. Sparks is the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries for the state of Alabama. Sparks is a member of the Democratic party, and was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Alabama in the state's 2010 gubernatorial election.- Early life, education and career :Sparks is a graduate of...
.
During the primary campaign, Davis downplayed matters of race and emphasized his independence from Democratic party orthodoxy. He caused controversy, including within his heavily minority congressional district, by voting against President Barack Obama's new health-care law—the only black Democrat in Congress to do so. He also refused to sit for the endorsement screenings of Alabama's black political groups, drawing criticism from some that he was an opportunist in search of white votes. As a result, he became described as "the first African-American candidate in a statewide Alabama race to lose the black vote."
On June 1, 2010, Davis lost the Democratic primary to Sparks, ending his gubernatorial bid. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from politics and would return to private practice at the conclusion of his 2009-2011 term. Davis was succeeded in Congress by fellow Democrat Terri Sewell
Terri Sewell
Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party and the first black woman elected to Congress from Alabama...
, the first African-American woman elected to the United House of Representatives from Alabama.
Electoral history
External links
- Collected news and commentary from PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
- Frontline - Inside USA: Lobbying for Israel April 5, 2008