Bobby Bright
Encyclopedia
Bobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative
for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery
, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region
in the southeastern part of the state. Bright is the first Mayor of Montgomery to be elected to Congress. In November 2010, he was defeated by Republican Martha Roby
, a Montgomery City Councilwoman.
and grew up on one of the cotton farms that were typical of the Wiregrass Region
. After spending his youth working on the farm and graduating from high school, he took a job in metalworking
to save up money for college. He later graduated from Auburn University
with a B.A.
in political science
in 1975 and took a job as an auditor before earning an M.S.
in criminal justice
from Troy State University in 1977 and beginning a career as a corrections officer. While working in the prison system, he was deeply affected by the many young people he saw entering the penitentiaries and decided to transition into law practice as a result. Bright received his Juris Doctor
from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
at Faulkner University
in 1982. He practiced law for fifteen years before entering into politics.
Emory Folmar
. He was re-elected in a landslide against challenger Scott Simmons in 2003.
During Bright's tenure he revitalized Montgomery's downtown and riverfront including the Renaissance Montgomery complex and Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
. He helped bring new jobs to the area, and saved existing jobs. He was also named the state's "Tourism Advocate of the Year" by the Governor for his work in building that industry. On the financial side, he balanced the City's budget every year and created a $30 million rainy day fund, secured millions in federal grants for important projects, maintained the city's "AA" credit rating (best in state) by holding spending and debt in check, and saved money by implementing an international prescription drug buying program.
Bright had never previously claimed affiliation with any party, but in 2008 he announced that he was running as a Democrat
for the open seat in the 2nd District. The district's eight-term incumbent, Republican Terry Everett
, was not running for reelection.
Like many Alabama Democrats, he opposes abortion and gun control. However, he favors "a strong, honorable plan" to end the Iraq War.
Bright was considered the strongest Democrat to run in a district that had been in Republican hands since 1965. With the strong support of the state and national Democratic establishment, Bright easily won the Democratic nomination against two minor challengers. He faced Republican State Representative
Jay Love
in the November election. Both Bright and Love are deacons at First Baptist Church in Montgomery. Bright received the endorsement of bitter Republican primary loser State Senator Harri Anne Smith, whom Love had defeated by six points in the primary.
Just before the election, CQ Politics, The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report rated the race a toss-up, with neither candidate a clear favorite over the other.
In the November election, Bright received 143,997 votes to Love's 142,231 votes—a margin of 1,766 votes, or just over 0.6 percentage points. While the two candidates each won eight of the district's 16 counties, Bright won the district's share of Montgomery County by 30 points. Love had the option of requesting a recount since the margin of victory was less than a point, but opted not to do so and conceded the seat to Bright. Bright's victory, and that of Parker Griffith
in the 5th District
, gave Alabama two white Democratic congressmen for the first time since Tom Bevill
and Glen Browder
left the House in 1997. He also represents the fourth most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat; it has a Cook Partisan Voting Index
of R+16, and gave John McCain
63 percent of the vote in 2008.
The 2nd traditionally gives its congressmen very long tenures in Washington; Bright is only the seventh person to represent it in over a century, and the fifth since 1921. Bright's 2008 campaign was endorsed by Democrats for Life of America
.
2010
Bright was unopposed in the 2010 Democratic primary. Mainstream Republican Montgomery city council member Martha Roby decisively beat Tea Party favorite and former Marine Rick Barber. Bright ran campaign ads aimed at distancing himself from the establishment Democratic Party. In these ads, he described himself as “independent and conservative,” and emphasized his support for small business. Under fire from Roby for his support of Pelosi for Speaker of the House, Bright stated publicly that he would not vote for Pelosi for Speaker again.
bill. In July 2009, Bright voted against establishing spending caps through fiscal year 2014. In November 2009, Bright voted against the House version of the Affordable Health Care for America Act
. In March 2010, Bright voted against the Senate version of the Affordable Health Care for America Act
. He has not signed a petition circulated by Iowa Republican Steve King
calling for a complete repeal of the law, calling the effort "premature."
In November 2009, Bright, along with Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho, introduced House Resolution 4072. This resolution reorganized public job training funds, directing them towards flexible skills and credentials recognized by industries. Also called the American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Act (AMERICA Works), the bill was targeted at new workers just entering the workforce and servicemen and women returning to civilian life.
Because of his dedication to small business, Bright requested a waiver to serve on the House Small Business Committee shortly after his arrival in Washington. This committee worked to find solutions to the challenges faced by small businesses. Some of these include the cost of health care, the impact of food safety recalls, federal government regulations, and small business taxes. The first bill sponsored by Bright was intended for the benefit of small businesses. It created a bonus deprecation for the kind of large purchases made by small businesses. His legislation would eventually be included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which became law on February 17, 2009.
After the defection of fellow Alabama Democrat Parker Griffith
to the Republican Party in December 2009, political analyst and statistician Nate Silver
suggested that Bright could follow, naming "60/40" odds that he would eventually join the Republican caucus as well. The day after Griffith's party switch, Bright told media that he had no intention of switching parties and would remain a Democrat.
The National Journal
named Bright the most conservative Democrat during the first session of the 111th United States Congress
.
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 from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery
Montgomery, 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...
, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region
Wiregrass Region
The Wiregrass Region or Wiregrass Country is an area of the Southern United States encompassing parts of southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle...
in the southeastern part of the state. Bright is the first Mayor of Montgomery to be elected to Congress. In November 2010, he was defeated by Republican Martha Roby
Martha Roby
Martha Dubina Roby is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party. She narrowly defeated incumbent Representative Bobby Bright on November 2 during the United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2010 and assumed office in January 2011.-Early life,...
, a Montgomery City Councilwoman.
Early life, education, and early career
Bright was born in Midland City, AlabamaMidland City, Alabama
Midland City is a town in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,703. This town is the location of Dothan Regional Airport. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and grew up on one of the cotton farms that were typical of the Wiregrass Region
Wiregrass Region
The Wiregrass Region or Wiregrass Country is an area of the Southern United States encompassing parts of southern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle...
. After spending his youth working on the farm and graduating from high school, he took a job in metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
to save up money for college. He later graduated from Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1975 and took a job as an auditor before earning an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
from Troy State University in 1977 and beginning a career as a corrections officer. While working in the prison system, he was deeply affected by the many young people he saw entering the penitentiaries and decided to transition into law practice as a result. Bright received his Juris Doctor
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...
from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
The Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, also known as Jones Law, JLS or JSL, is one of the professional graduate schools of Faulkner University. Located in Montgomery, Alabama-History:...
at Faulkner University
Faulkner University
Faulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
in 1982. He practiced law for fifteen years before entering into politics.
Mayor of Montgomery
Bright was first elected in 1999, defeating longtime incumbent RepublicanRepublican 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...
Emory Folmar
Emory Folmar
Emory McCord Folmar was the mayor of Montgomery, Alabama from 1977 to 1999. Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, Folmar was known to be a Republican...
. He was re-elected in a landslide against challenger Scott Simmons in 2003.
During Bright's tenure he revitalized Montgomery's downtown and riverfront including the Renaissance Montgomery complex and Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium is the home of the Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League. The minor league baseball ballpark opened in Montgomery, Alabama in 2004. It is built into the Riverfront Inn and has a total capacity of 7,000, including general-admission lawn seating. The stadium offers...
. He helped bring new jobs to the area, and saved existing jobs. He was also named the state's "Tourism Advocate of the Year" by the Governor for his work in building that industry. On the financial side, he balanced the City's budget every year and created a $30 million rainy day fund, secured millions in federal grants for important projects, maintained the city's "AA" credit rating (best in state) by holding spending and debt in check, and saved money by implementing an international prescription drug buying program.
Elections
2008Bright had never previously claimed affiliation with any party, but in 2008 he announced that he was running as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
for the open seat in the 2nd District. The district's eight-term incumbent, Republican Terry Everett
Terry Everett
Robert Terry Everett is an American politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing ....
, was not running for reelection.
Like many Alabama Democrats, he opposes abortion and gun control. However, he favors "a strong, honorable plan" to end the Iraq War.
Bright was considered the strongest Democrat to run in a district that had been in Republican hands since 1965. With the strong support of the state and national Democratic establishment, Bright easily won the Democratic nomination against two minor challengers. He faced Republican State Representative
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...
Jay Love
Jay Love
Jay K. Love, Jr. is a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 74th District since 2003. He represents part of Montgomery.-Biography:...
in the November election. Both Bright and Love are deacons at First Baptist Church in Montgomery. Bright received the endorsement of bitter Republican primary loser State Senator Harri Anne Smith, whom Love had defeated by six points in the primary.
Just before the election, CQ Politics, The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report rated the race a toss-up, with neither candidate a clear favorite over the other.
In the November election, Bright received 143,997 votes to Love's 142,231 votes—a margin of 1,766 votes, or just over 0.6 percentage points. While the two candidates each won eight of the district's 16 counties, Bright won the district's share of Montgomery County by 30 points. Love had the option of requesting a recount since the margin of victory was less than a point, but opted not to do so and conceded the seat to Bright. Bright's victory, and that of Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
in the 5th District
Alabama's 5th congressional district
Alabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and Jackson. It also includes parts of Morgan County.It is...
, gave Alabama two white Democratic congressmen for the first time since Tom Bevill
Tom Bevill
Tom Bevill , a Democrat, was a fifteen-term U.S. congressman representing Alabama's 4th Congressional District .-Early years and education:...
and Glen Browder
Glen Browder
John Glen Browder is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Browder was born in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated from Edmunds High School in 1961. He attended Presbyterian College, receiving a B.A. in history in 1965. He went on...
left the House in 1997. He also represents the fourth most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat; it has a Cook Partisan Voting Index
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R+16, and gave John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
63 percent of the vote in 2008.
The 2nd traditionally gives its congressmen very long tenures in Washington; Bright is only the seventh person to represent it in over a century, and the fifth since 1921. Bright's 2008 campaign was endorsed by Democrats for Life of America
Democrats for Life of America
Democrats for Life of America is an advocacy group in the United States attempting to reshape the political left, primarily the Democratic Party, into taking a pro-life position. Usually this involves political opposition to abortion, but the DFLA also opposes capital punishment and euthanasia...
.
2010
Bright was unopposed in the 2010 Democratic primary. Mainstream Republican Montgomery city council member Martha Roby decisively beat Tea Party favorite and former Marine Rick Barber. Bright ran campaign ads aimed at distancing himself from the establishment Democratic Party. In these ads, he described himself as “independent and conservative,” and emphasized his support for small business. Under fire from Roby for his support of Pelosi for Speaker of the House, Bright stated publicly that he would not vote for Pelosi for Speaker again.
Tenure
Bright is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. He has voted with Democratic leadership 71.7% of the time., making him the second most conservative member of the House Democratic Caucus. Bright twice against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one of only 7 Democrats voting against the final version. In February 2009, Bright voted in favor of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009. In June 2009, Bright voted in favor of the Cash for ClunkersCar Allowance Rebate System
The Car Allowance Rebate System , colloquially known as "Cash for Clunkers", was a $3 billion U.S. federal scrappage program intended to provide economic incentives to U.S. residents to purchase a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle when trading in a less fuel-efficient vehicle...
bill. In July 2009, Bright voted against establishing spending caps through fiscal year 2014. In November 2009, Bright voted against the House version of the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
. In March 2010, Bright voted against the Senate version of the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
. He has not signed a petition circulated by Iowa Republican Steve King
Steve King
Steven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
calling for a complete repeal of the law, calling the effort "premature."
In November 2009, Bright, along with Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho, introduced House Resolution 4072. This resolution reorganized public job training funds, directing them towards flexible skills and credentials recognized by industries. Also called the American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Act (AMERICA Works), the bill was targeted at new workers just entering the workforce and servicemen and women returning to civilian life.
Because of his dedication to small business, Bright requested a waiver to serve on the House Small Business Committee shortly after his arrival in Washington. This committee worked to find solutions to the challenges faced by small businesses. Some of these include the cost of health care, the impact of food safety recalls, federal government regulations, and small business taxes. The first bill sponsored by Bright was intended for the benefit of small businesses. It created a bonus deprecation for the kind of large purchases made by small businesses. His legislation would eventually be included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which became law on February 17, 2009.
After the defection of fellow Alabama Democrat Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
to the Republican Party in December 2009, political analyst and statistician Nate Silver
Nate Silver
Nathaniel Read "Nate" Silver is an American statistician, psephologist, and writer. Silver first gained public recognition for developing PECOTA, a system for forecasting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players, which he sold to and then managed for Baseball...
suggested that Bright could follow, naming "60/40" odds that he would eventually join the Republican caucus as well. The day after Griffith's party switch, Bright told media that he had no intention of switching parties and would remain a Democrat.
The National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
named Bright the most conservative Democrat during the first session of the 111th United States Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and ResearchUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and ResearchThe House Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. The subcommittee oversees all agricultural matters relating to soil, water, and resource conservation; small watershed program; energy and biobased energy production; rural...
- Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
- Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Small BusinessUnited States House Committee on Small BusinessThe United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
- Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and TradeUnited States House Small Business Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and TradeThe House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade is one of five subcommittees of the House Small Business Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**House Small Business Committee...
- Subcommittee on Rural and Urban EntrepreneurshipUnited States House Small Business Subcommittee on Rural and Urban EntrepreneurshipThe House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce is one of five subcommittees of the House Small Business Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:**House Small Business Committee...
- Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade
Electoral History
Personal life
Bright is married to retired District Judge Lynn Clardy Bright. They have three children: Bobby Neal Jr., Lisa Lynn, and Katherine Clardy.External links
- Bobby Bright for Congress official campaign site
- 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...