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Mike Rogers (Alabama politician)

Michael Dennis Rogers (born July 16, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 3rd congressional district since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party of Alabama. Rogers is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee where he served as the Ranking Member from 2021 to 2023 and as the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee from 2019 to 2021.

Early life and education
A sixth-generation resident of Calhoun County in East Alabama, Rogers graduated from Saks High School and earned both his undergraduate degree in political science and Master's of Public Administration at Jacksonville State University. He graduated from Birmingham School of Law.

Early political career
At age 28, Rogers became the youngest person to join the Calhoun County Commission. In 1994, Rogers won a seat in the Alabama House of Representatives, and became minority leader in his second term.

Elections
In 2002, U.S. Representative Bob Riley was elected governor of Alabama, leaving Alabama's 3rd congressional district seat open. Rogers won the Republican nomination. In the general election, he faced Democratic veteran Joe Turnham, Jr., who had served three years as state party chairman and had run against Riley for Congress in 1998. The Democratic and Republican national parties targeted the district, with Speaker Dennis Hastert promising Rogers a seat on the Armed Services Committee should he win. Rogers outspent Turnham, raising and spending $1,656,290 to Turnham's $1,015,132, and held an even greater margin in independent expenditures. Rogers defeated Turnham, 50% to 48%. In this election, he was a rare Republican endorsee of The Anniston Star.

Campaign contributions from ARMPAC
Rogers received campaign contributions from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's ARMPAC. DeLay was convicted of felony money laundering of campaign finances and conspiracy to launder money. As of August 2016, Rogers has not offered to return any of the $30,000 he received. Rogers said that DeLay is innocent until proven guilty, and that he would not return the money "while the judicial process runs its course".

112th Congress (2011–2013)
In December 2011, Rogers voted in support of H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, which would have required Congressional approval for any "major regulations" issued by the executive branch but, unlike the 1996 Congressional Review Act, would not require the president's signature or override of a probable presidential veto.

115th Congress (2017–2019)
In 2017, Rogers worked with Representative Jim Cooper on a proposal to establish a Space Corps under the Department of the Air Force. The proposal passed the House and failed in the Senate. A bill with very similar language was signed into law two years later to create the United States Space Force. Rogers has been a major proponent of the Space Development Agency and taking an aggressive approach to space militarization.

In August 2017, Rogers held a town hall event in Oxford, Alabama, focused on efforts to repeal to the Affordable Care Act. During the town hall, a constituent raised questions about campaign donations to Rogers and his wife Beth, a Calhoun County District Court judge. The constituent specifically asked about monetary contributions to the Rogerses from Mike Hubbard, who was convicted of ethics violations in 2016. Rogers said that Hubbard was a family friend and appeared to threaten the constituent, saying, "you keep my wife out of this and be a man or we'll take it outside". The constituent said he filed a complaint with the Oxford police department over Rogers's comments.

117th Congress (2021–2023)
Rogers was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when it was attacked. The next day, he tweeted, "there is no place for political violence in America" and called for law and order. Even after the attack, Rogers supported efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, voting to oppose the certification. He voted against impeaching Donald Trump a second time in the wake of the attack. His rationale for his decision was that the impeachment was a partisan action by Nancy Pelosi that would "further divide our nation".

Rogers voted against the American Rescue Plan in February 2021. His rationale for opposing the bill was that it was full of "extreme socialist initiatives" and too expensive, and that it was too soon for another bill after the December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act. He also said the bill did not support schools reopening and that it funded abortions.

As of October 2021, Rogers had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 10.3% of the time.

118th Congress (2023–present)
During the January 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election, Rogers suggested that committee assignments be stripped from representatives who did not vote for Kevin McCarthy. He told Politico that his comments were more than a threat, saying "I promised it". Rogers called the representatives voting against McCarthy "legislative terrorists who have no problem killing the hostage". During the 14th ballot for Speaker, Rogers lunged at Representative Matt Gaetz after Gaetz spoke with McCarthy. Representative Richard Hudson then had to physically restrain Rogers. The Associated Press reported that Rogers "charged" at Gaetz before Hudson pulled Rogers back by the shoulder, then the face. According to The New York Times, Gaetz was seeking a subcommittee chairmanship in the House Armed Services Committee, of which Rogers was in line to become chair. Multiple representatives criticized Rogers after the confrontation, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said it was "out of line" and expected consequences for Rogers, and Tim Burchett, who compared Rogers's actions to being under the influence of alcohol on the House floor, saying "people shouldn't be drinking, especially when you're a redneck, on the House floor". Burchett later retracted his comments about Rogers, saying that they were made out of frustration and that "we're all friends".

During an appearance on Fox News on January 8, 2023, Gaetz said that he had forgiven Rogers for the outburst and that he was looking forward to working with Rogers on the House Armed Services Committee. Gaetz also said he did not think Rogers should be punished for an "animated moment". Later that day, Rogers tweeted a message of reconciliation in response to Gaetz, saying that he regretted losing his temper on the House floor and that he would be happy to continue his working relationship with Gaetz.

On January 9, 2023, multiple media outlets reported that Rogers was planning to step down from the House Steering Committee in the wake of the controversy. Rogers confirmed to Politico that he was considering the decision, but said it had not yet been finalized; 1819 News reported that Rogers "may change his mind". Less than 12 hours later, Rogers said he would not resign from the committee, saying that both Republican and Democratic leaders had urged him not to. Politico called Rogers's reversal an example of the "dishevelment" in the House following McCarthy's election to the speakership.

Following the first indictment of Donald Trump in March 2023, Rogers called the proceedings a "sham" and called for the resignation of district attorney Alvin Bragg.

In April 2023, as chair of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, Rogers delivered statements urging advancement of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) missile program in support of Taiwan against the Chinese Communist Party. 1819 News published a report showing that Lockheed Martin, which is competing for the contract to build the NGI missiles, is Rogers's largest campaign contributor. Rogers has a history of advocating for arms development under Lockheed Martin, including similar comments from January 2023 for Lockheed artillery weapons to be supplied to Ukraine. He never served in the military.

During the October 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election, after the removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker, Rogers called those who had supported McCarthy's ouster "traitors" and accused them of "paralyzing" the House of Representatives. Rogers initially refused to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House, even after he had been nominated by Republicans for the speakership. Rogers told reporters that he was willing to compromise with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to nominate a bipartisan moderate speaker instead of Jordan. Rogers' comments were met with scrutiny by conservative colleagues, including Senator Mike Lee from Utah and former U.S. representative Mo Brooks from Alabama. Additionally, members of the Alabama Republican Party state executive committee, including members from the third district, threatened to file a challenge against Rogers' ballot access in the 2024 election. On October 16, 2023, Rogers issued a statement endorsing Jordan for Speaker of the House, reversing his position and establishing his support for Jordan. In the statement, Rogers said that he had "always been a team player" and would support the Republican conference's decision on the speakership.

Committees
For the 118th Congress:
 * Committee on Armed Services (Chair)
 * As Chair of the full committee, Rep. Rogers is entitled to sit as an ex officio member of all subcommittee meetings per the commmittee rules.

Caucus memberships

 * Congressional Cement Caucus
 * United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
 * Veterinary Medicine Caucus
 * Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
 * Republican Study Committee

Political positions
In 2020, Rogers received a lifetime rating of 86% from the American Conservative Union, one of the most moderate voting records of a Southern Republican that year. He supported an amendment to declare that people retain the right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools. He co-sponsored legislation to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag. Rogers sponsored a bill expressing Congress's continued support for equal access of military recruiters to institutions of higher education.

Abortion
Rogers is anti-abortion. As of 2020, he has a 100% rating from National Right to Life and a 0% rating from NARAL in 2018 for his abortion-related votes. He opposes banning federal health coverage if abortion is included and opposes using human embryos for stem cell research. Rogers has voted in support of efforts to restrict interstate transport of minors for abortions and allowing partial-birth abortion only if the mother's life is at risk. He also opposes human cloning and signed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. He co-sponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act. Rogers supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade and called it "the right decision to protect the innocent lives of unborn children."

Civil rights
As of 2019, Rogers has a 19% rating regarding civil rights-related legislature from the NAACP.

Rogers voted against the Violence Against Women Act in 2013.

Rogers voted for the Marriage Protection Amendment in 2004. In 2007, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Rogers has a 0/100 rating from the Human Rights Campaign regarding pro-LGBTQ policies.

Crime
Rogers opposed expanding federal hate crime law to include crimes committed against LGBTQ people. He voted for the Second Chance Act of 2007.

Economy
Rogers is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

During the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis, Rogers voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

Foreign affairs
In June 2016, Rogers called for the United States withdrawal from the United Nations in the wake of Brexit. On January 3, 2017, Rogers once again called for the U.S. to withdraw from the U.N., introducing the American Sovereignty Act of 2017. The bill still needs House, Senate, and presidential approval. On January 3, 2019, Rogers submitted a similar bill, H.R.204 - American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2019.

Rogers supported the Biden administration giving Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs to Ukraine to increase their munitions range, but said the weapons should have been given to Ukraine earlier.

Juneteenth
In June 2021, Rogers was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against establishing June 19, or Juneteenth, as a federal holiday.

Terrorism
Rogers voted for the Patriot Act.

2020 presidential election
In December 2020, Rogers was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state. Rogers is one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn results in the 2020 presidential election.

Honors
Rogers was made Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania on June 8, 2017.

Personal life
Rogers is married, with three children. He and his family reside in Weaver and are members of a Baptist Church in nearby Saks.

title: Mike Rogers (Alabama politician)


text:
Robert Aderholt

Robert Brown Aderholt (born July 22, 1965) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 4th congressional district since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of Tuscaloosa County north of the Black Warrior River, as well as Birmingham's far northern suburbs in Walker County and the southern suburbs of Huntsville and Decatur.

A social conservative, Aderholt was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. He became the dean of Alabama's congressional delegation following Senator Richard Shelby's retirement at the end of the 117th Congress. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, Aderholt represents the most Republican district in the country, with an index rating of R+33.

Early life and education
Aderholt was born in Haleyville, Alabama, to Mary Frances Brown and Bobby Ray Aderholt. Aderholt's father, a part-time minister for a small group of Congregational churches in northwest Alabama, was a circuit judge for more than 30 years. He attended the University of North Alabama and then Birmingham-Southern College, from which he graduated with a degree in history and political science. During college, Aderholt was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. Aderholt received his J.D. from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law and practiced law after graduation.

Career
In 1992, Aderholt was appointed Haleyville municipal judge. The same year, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1995, he became the top aide to Governor Fob James. He won the 1996 Republican primary in the race to succeed 15-term Democratic incumbent Tom Bevill.

As the Republican nominee, Aderholt faced a considerable challenge against State Senator Bob Wilson Jr., who called himself a Democrat "in the Tom Bevill tradition". This was a seriously contested race, receiving considerable national coverage and significant support from the Republican Party. Newt Gingrich personally visited the district during the campaign. Aderholt won, 50%–48%, becoming only the second Republican to represent the district since Reconstruction. Two years later, he was reelected over Tom Bevil, Jr., his predecessor's son. The first Republican to win the seat had been Jim Martin, who was swept into office in what was then the 7th District during the 1964 wave that delivered the state's electoral votes to Barry Goldwater. After his first win, Aderholt has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has been reelected nine times. He ran unopposed in 2004, 2010, 2014, and 2016. His increasing margins reflected the growing Republican trend in this part of Alabama.

Aderholt is associated with the Fellowship Foundation, which paid for his trip to Romania in 2017 to promote "traditional family values". Over the course of 16 years, Aderholt traveled to 18 countries on the Fellowship's behalf.

Tenure
Aderholt is one of 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn results in the 2020 presidential election. He was at the Capitol to certify the election results when it was attacked. During the attack, he tweeted a prayer to God to "guide & protect this nation." In a video message, he later said that some of the attackers "crossed the line". Even after the attack, he supported overturning the election. Aderholt later opposed impeaching Trump for the second time.

In February 2021, Aderholt voted against the American Rescue Plan, claiming that his opposition was because half the bill's funding went to "unrelated liberal policies" and that the bill "has nothing to do with COVID-19 relief".

As of October 2021, Aderholt had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 7.5% of the time.

In January 2023, Aderholt announced that he had secured $13.8 million in funding for 14 infrastructure projects in his district, including broadband expansion, roadways and access to medical care. Although announced during the 118th Congress, the funds were from the previous House session.

In February 2023, CoinDesk reported that Aderholt is one of three members of Alabama's congressional delegation who received money from FTX, the defunct cryptocurrency exchange, alongside Katie Britt and Gary Palmer. His office did not respond to a CoinDesk inquiry about what had been done with the funds.

Aderholt voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:
 * Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Chair)

Caucuses

 * Republican Study Committee
 * Tea Party Caucus
 * Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
 * Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
 * United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
 * Congressional Coalition on Adoption (co-chair)

Bills sponsored
Sponsor HR 3808: Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010, 111th Congress

Representatives Bruce Braley, Mike Castle, and Artur Davis co-sponsored the bill.

H.R. 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 – To require any federal or state court to recognize any notarization made by a notary public licensed by a state other than the state where the court is located when such notarization occurs in or affects interstate commerce.

April 27, 2010: This bill passed the House of Representatives by voice vote. A record of each representative's position was not kept.

September 27, 2010: This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent. A record of each senator's position was not kept.

October 8, 2010: vetoed by President.

H.R. 2017 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012

May 26, 2011: Introduced

June 2, 2011: Passed House with amendments

September 26, 2011: Passed Senate with amendments

September 30, 2011: Became Public Law 112-33

Political positions
The American Conservative Union's center for legislative accountability gave Aderholt a 83% lifetime conservative rating and the progressive PAC Americans for Democratic Action gave him a 5% liberal quotient in 2019.

Abortion
During the March for Life in Washington on January 22, 2010, Aderholt said, "The issue of abortion and the sanctity of life is something that I feel strongly about and I encourage my colleagues to look for ways to curb and stop abortions in the United States, while compassionately educating on this important issue." Aderholt supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade and called it a "watershed moment for life".

Budget and economy
Aderholt opposes reducing the defense budget to close the American deficit, and in May 2012 said "cuts to defense budgets – the federal government's primary Constitutional responsibility – shouldn't be the relief valve for uncontrolled domestic program spending".

During the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis, Aderholt voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Aderholt called the debt-ceiling deal between Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden "a step in the right direction", though he also said it was "not perfect".

Civil rights
Aderholt opposes same-sex marriage. Aderholt condemned the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the US constitution. He has received high ratings from the Family Research Council, the Traditional Values Coalition, and the American Family Association. In 2013, the Human Rights Campaign gave him a score of 0 on its Congressional Scorecard.

Environment
During the 111th Congress, Aderholt voted for Steve Scalise's amendment to "require that Congress be allowed to vote on any executive regulation that would impose any tax, price, or levy upon carbon emissions... effectively prevents the executive branch from levying any form of carbon tax without Congressional approval. Since a carbon tax would be tremendously destructive to the economy as a whole, this measure would hopefully make such a tax unlikely to pass." Aderholt opposed regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, and in December 2008 helped write a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that read, "I am opposed to any attempt to impose greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act on the agricultural industry."

Gun policy
Aderholt supports gun rights. He has been repeatedly endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund, and received $2,000 in 2010.

In the wake of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Aderholt called it a terrorist attack and said, "we do not have the luxury of debating the political correctness of 'radical Islam'", adding that there was a need to "hunt down those who would do us harm". He opposed the media and President Obama using the shooting to "push any type of political agenda relating to gun control" and called on the White House and Congress to "protect the homeland".

Health care
In 2019, Aderholt introduced a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21.

Regulatory reform
In December 2011, Aderholt voted in support of H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, which would have required congressional approval for any "major regulations" issued by the executive branch but, unlike the 1996 Congressional Review Act, would not require the president's signature or override of a probable presidential veto.

Tax policy
Aderholt is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, saying it would "give back more money to Alabama taxpayers" and "does the right thing". He cited the raising of the child tax credit, changes to the state and local tax deductions, and said, "more than 80% the people in the 4th District of Alabama will receive a tax cut." Aderholt also said that more businesses will stay in the U.S. due to a lower corporate tax rate and therefore the act is a "jobs bill".

Texas v. Pennsylvania
In December 2020, Aderholt was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.

Defense
In September 2021, Aderholt was among 75 House Republicans to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to be drafted.

Personal life
Aderholt is married to Caroline McDonald. Her father, Albert, served in the Alabama State Senate and was Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. They have two children.

On December 4, 2020, Aderholt announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after going into quarantine eight days earlier after his wife had tested positive.

Aderholt is a Congregationalist.

Honors
Aderholt has been awarded the following foreign honors:

 * Order of the Star of Romania - Ribbon bar.svg Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania, Romania (June 8, 2017)
 * Order of St John (UK) ribbon -vector.svg Serving Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, United Kingdom (September 21, 2017)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Robert Aderholt


text:
Bud Cramer

Robert Edward "Bud" Cramer Jr. (born August 22, 1947) is an American politician and was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, representing Alabama's 5th congressional district. On March 13, 2008, Cramer announced he would not seek re-election to a 10th term.

Early life
Cramer was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Known as Bud by his classmates, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1972. After graduating, he joined the Army as a tank officer. He served at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and remained a member of the Army Reserve from 1976 to 1978.

Early political career
In 1973, Cramer was appointed assistant district attorney in Madison County, a position he held until going into private practice in 1975. He remained in private practice until 1980, when he challenged the incumbent Madison County District Attorney and won at age 33.

In 1985, he founded the National Children's Advocacy Center, a child-friendly environment for abused children, an effort for which he was honored at the White House by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.

Congressional elections
Cramer was district attorney from 1981 to 1990, until Rep. Ronnie Flippo ran unsuccessfully for governor. Cramer ran for the vacant Congressional seat in 1990, defeating Republican Al McDonald with 67% of the vote. He was handily reelected in 1992. However, he was nearly defeated in 1994 by Republican businessman Wayne Parker—the closest that a Republican had come to winning one of the few remaining districts (prior to 2010) in the former Confederacy to have never elected a Republican since Reconstruction. Cramer only held onto his seat by 1,770 votes. Cramer managed to defeat Parker with less difficulty in 1996 and never faced serious opposition again, winning five more terms by over 70 percent of the vote before running unopposed in 2006.

Tenure
In the House, Cramer was a supporter of the International Space Station and an advocate for spending increases in missile defense, as Huntsville has long been a center for research and development of these two projects, as Redstone Arsenal—located in the district—is home of the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

A liberal in his early days, he largely supported the Democratic line for his first three terms. The 1994 near-defeat, however, led Cramer to move more to the right in his voting. He often broke with his party on issues such as abortion, gay rights, gun control, taxes, regulation of business, and the environment. Cramer was one of only four Democrats in the House to vote for the tax cut bill of 2003. However, unlike a few other conservative Democrats, he did not vote in favor of any of the articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.

Cramer's voting record placed him near the center of the House; however, he was often cited as unpredictable in his votes. Child protection was a longtime legislative project of Cramer's pursuant to his work with the area prior to his ascent to the House.

Cramer was a long-time member of the Blue Dog Democrats, a coalition of conservative and moderate House Democrats. Because of his largely conservative positions, he was encouraged by fellow Alabama politician Sen. Richard Shelby to make the same switch that he did and register as a Republican. Cramer resisted these efforts, and won reelection easily in his increasingly conservative district despite his party affiliation.

On October 10, 2002, Cramer was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq. He also voted in favor of some measures favored by the Republican majority, including the continued occupation of Iraq and re-authorization of the Patriot Act. However, Cramer joined fellow Democrats in opposing President Bush's plan to send 21,000 additional troops to Iraq.

Committees

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
 * The Select Intelligence Oversight Panel
 * Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Chairman)
 * Subcommittee on Technical & Tactical Intelligence
 * The Blue Dog Coalition, Co-Founder
 * The Congressional Missing & Exploited Children's Caucus, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder
 * The End the Death Tax Caucus, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder
 * The House Anti-Terrorism Caucus, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder
 * The Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus, Co-Chairman

Retirement
On March 13, 2008, Cramer surprised colleagues by announcing that he would not seek re-election in 2008 and would retire at the end of his term. Alabama’s Democratic State Senator Parker Griffith defeated Republican Wayne Parker in the race to succeed Cramer.

Since leaving Congress, Cramer has worked as a lobbyist and government affairs consultant, representing clients in the defense and aerospace industries.

Group ratings (2004)

 * National Journal
 * Economic: 50% Liberal, 49% Conservative
 * Social: 48% Liberal, 51% Conservative
 * Foreign: 54% Liberal, 45% Conservative
 * Americans for Democratic Action: 75
 * American Civil Liberties Union: 25
 * Chamber of Commerce of the United States: 86
 * Christian Coalition: 58
 * American Conservative Union: 50
 * National Taxpayers Union: 26
 * League of Conservation Voters: 36

title: Bud Cramer


text:
Spencer Bachus

Spencer Thomas Bachus III (born December 28, 1947) is an American politician. He is a former U.S. Representative for the state of Alabama, serving from 1993 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as ranking member (2007–2011) and chairman (2011–2013) of the House Financial Services Committee. On September 30, 2013, Bachus announced his retirement from Congress. His term ended in 2015.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Bachus graduated from Auburn University and the University of Alabama Law School. He served in the Alabama National Guard before being elected to the Alabama State School Board in 1986 and holding the position of Alabama Republican Party Chairman in 1991. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, and was re-elected by wide margins. From 2006 to 2012, Bachus was the leading Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, serving as committee chairman when his party held a House majority during the 112th Congress. Due to House Republican term limits on committee leadership positions, Bachus was succeeded by Congressman Jeb Hensarling in 2013.

Early life, education, and career
Bachus was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Edith (née Wells) and Jim Bachus Jr. He graduated from Auburn University in 1969 where he became a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He served in the Alabama National Guard from 1969 to 1971, during the Vietnam War, while attending law school; Bachus earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama Law School in 1972. Prior to his political career, he owned a sawmill and practiced law until 1992.

State politics
In 1982, Bachus was elected to the Alabama Senate. Because new legislative elections were scheduled for 1983, he served only one year. In 1983 he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. In 1986, he was elected as the first Republican to the Alabama State Board of Education, serving one four-year term representing the 6th District. In 1990, he ran unsuccessfully for Attorney General of Alabama. In 1991, he became Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, serving in that position until his campaign for Congress.

Summary
From 2006 to 2012, Bachus was the leading Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, serving as committee chairman when his party held a House majority during the 112th Congress. Due to House Republican term limits on committee leadership positions, Bachus was named Chairman Emeritus of the Financial Services Committee and rejoined the Judiciary Committee, which he had to take leave of when named Financial Services Chair.

On September 30, 2013, Bachus announced his retirement from Congress. His term ended in January 2015.

Upon his retirement in 2014, Norman Ornstein wrote a column in the National Journal lamenting the "Exodus of Problem Solvers on Capitol Hill."

Elections
Alabama's 6th congressional district was redistricted based on the 1990 United States Census. In the 1992 election, Bachus defeated incumbent Democrat Ben Erdreich. Bachus was endorsed by The Birmingham News. Bachus got a major assist from redistricting, which drew most of Birmingham's black neighborhoods into the majority-black 7th district, replacing them with suburban and Republican territory around Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. The new 6th was almost 97 percent white; in contrast, the old 6th was 35 percent black. Despite being outspent almost 2 to 1, the 7th's more Republican bent was enough to give Bachus the victory by seven points. He was undoubtedly helped by George H. W. Bush winning the district by over 30 points.

Bachus would never face another contest nearly that close. No Democrat even filed from 2000 to 2010; before then, he defeated three nominal Democratic challengers with over 70 percent of the vote each time.

In the 2004 Republican primary, Bachus defeated Phillip Jauregui, a member of former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's legal team. Bachus was unopposed in the 2004 general election.

In the 2010 midterm elections, Bachus easily turned back a challenge from pastor Stan Cooke in the Republican primary, winning 75% of the vote.

 * 2012

Bachus sought reelection in 2012 after the 6th was redrawn to cut out its share of Tuscaloosa. In the Republican primary, he drew three challengers, most notably State Senator Scott Beason. Beason ran well to Bachus's right and called for "true conservative leadership." Bachus heavily outspent him. The incumbent spent over $1.5 million, outspending Beason 45–1. Bachus defeated him 59%–27%. He won every county in the district except for Blount County.

For the first time since 1998, Bachus faced a Democratic challenger. Colonel Penny Bailey defeated William Barnes to become the Democratic nominee. However, the new 6th was as heavily Republican as its predecessor, and Bachus turned back this challenge fairly easily, defeating Bailey with 71 percent of the vote.

Congressional voting record
Bachus had a conservative voting record, with a lifetime rating of 92 from the American Conservative Union. He was a signer of Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

Bachus was an active legislator, engaged in many important issues over the course of his congressional career. He helped amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to curtail identity theft and ease consumer access to their credit reports. Bachus also had a reputation for good constituent service.

 * 1990s

In the late 1990s, during his tenure as Chairman of the Banking Oversight Committee, he uncovered the Community Development Financial Institute (CDFI), which led to the resignation of the top two CDFI officials.

In the 1990s he became an advocate of international debt relief for the Third World, and joined a broad coalition of activists in a one-day fast to demand action, which was ultimately successful. He criticized the Bush administration over negotiations with the genocidal regime in Sudan, and urged Bush to stop payment of oil revenues to the Sudanese government. Bachus was credited when the Bush Administration decided, in 2007, to place sanctions on Sudan.

In 1995, Bachus pushed for the creation of the Alabama National Cemetery, a United States National Cemetery located in Montevallo, Alabama. Bachus said, "The Alabama National Cemetery will always be the thing I'm most proud of.... It was the second one built, and I'm so thankful for it. We now (have) veterans from every war buried there."

On November 4, 1999, Bachus voted in favor of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. This law repealed part of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933, removing barriers in the market among banking companies, securities companies and insurance companies that prohibited any one institution from acting as any combination of an investment bank, a commercial bank, and an insurance company. With the passage of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms, and insurance companies were allowed to consolidate. The legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

 * 2000s

While Bachus was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (2001 – 2006), the House of Representatives passed and the President signed into law the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-159), which contained the strongest federal identity theft protections enacted into law to that date and entitled consumers to annual free credit reports from each of three major credit bureaus.

Additionally, while Bachus was Subcommittee Chairman, enacted into law was The Check Clearing for the 21st Century (CHECK) Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-100). This law authorized the use of digital versions of paper checks for transfer by financial institutions, saving money and eliminating delays and losses caused by the transportation of physical checks.

Again, as Subcommittee Chairman, Bachus played a leading role in passing the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-173), which reformed the federal deposit insurance system and raised the FDIC coverage limit for retirement accounts to $250,000.

On July 26, 2002, he voted for the Homeland Security Act of 2002 which created the United States Department of Homeland Security.

On December 14, 2005, he voted for the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. The USA PATRIOT Act is an act of Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. On May 26, 2011, President Barack Obama signed the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act of 2011.

In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. In 2008, he opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a moratorium on enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act while the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve defined "unlawful Internet gambling").

In 2006, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Bachus worked on bipartisan draft subprime mortgage reform legislation to address abuses in the lending market. According to the book Act of Congress by Robert G. Kaiser, "Bachus thought that if it had passed in 2005, subprime lending would have dried up, and the Great Crash could have been avoided or at least made much less serious."

In 2008, Bachus proposed the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing, an addition to the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 that required licensing for mortgage brokers.

In 2010, Bachus stated that "ending the bailout of Fannie [Mae] and Freddie [Mac]" was his top priority as Chairman of the Financial Services Committee. He said that "using taxpayer money to subsidize the mortgage market is an addiction" and that "House Republicans want to reform the housing finance system in a way that does not rely on government guarantees, that does not make private investors and creditors wealthy while saddling taxpayers with losses, and that does not set the stage for the next financial crisis."

In 2011, the FBI and American Football Coaches Association honored Bachus for his advocacy and support for the National Child Identification Program. The National Child Identification Program tries to help combat cases of missing or abducted children by providing identification kits to parents that allow the parents or other guardians to keep their children's fingerprints and other identifying characteristics on file at their home.

In 2012, Bachus called on Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to speed up veterans claims processing. In a letter to the Secretary, Bachus wrote that the benefit claims backlog facing veterans nationwide is causing veterans to face growing debt or postpone plans to pursue college education. He demanded that the Department outline the specific steps being taken to reduce the backlog.

In 2013, Bachus was the only member of Alabama's congressional delegation to vote in favor of defunding the National Security Agency's collection of phone records. Bachus has been an outspoken critic of the NSA program since news of it was leaked by Edward Snowden.

Bachus was a lead House sponsor of legislation offering federal protection to the American flag, prohibiting its desecration. On Flag Day 2013, he joined Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) to co-sponsor an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that says "Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."

Bachus was credited with being a lead advocate for locating and maintaining the National Computer Forensics Institute in the City of Hoover Public Safety Building in Hoover, Alabama: "The National Computer Forensics Institute was created in 2007 with money from local, state and federal entities. Since opening in 2008, it has trained 932 state and local law enforcement officers from more than 300 agencies in all 50 states, according to congressional testimony from Pablo Martinez, deputy special agent in charge of the criminal investigation division, cyber crimes operations for the U.S. Secret Service."

Financial crisis of 2008
During deliberations on the legislative response to the Financial Crisis of 2008, Bachus, as Ranking Member on the Financial Services Committee, was one of the original proponents of the Capital Purchase Program (CPP) that the U.S. Treasury eventually adopted as the primary method of stabilizing the U.S. banking system.

As described in Robert G. Kaiser's book Act of Congress:

"Spencer Bachus...had another idea. Instead of the complicated plan for auctioning off toxic assets, why not just inject capital directly into the troubled banks by buying their shares? This had been done successfully in similar situations, in Sweden, for example, in a banking crisis there in 1992...Bachus and [Senior Aide Larry] Lavender had been discussing the possibility for months as they watched the American crisis unfold, and Bachus asked about it now.

Paulson shot it down....

(Months later) Paulson asked his staff to figure out how to do what Spencer Bachus had suggested on September 18 – use government money to invest directly in troubled banks."

At a forum entitled Five Years Later: A Financial Crisis Symposium co-hosted by the University of Chicago and the Paulson Institute on October 29, 2013, former Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank stated, "Spencer Bachus gets some credit for this. In the meeting, he was the senior Republican, the leader of the Republican minority at the time, and when it was presented as buying up the assets, he was one of the first in our meetings to raise the notion of, well, how about a capital injection."

The capital purchase provision was included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008. According to the U.S. Treasury, in exchange for the capital funding made available to participating institutions, "Treasury received stock or debt securities in exchange for those investments. Most financial institutions participating in CPP pay Treasury a five percent dividend on preferred shares for the first five years and a nine percent rate thereafter. In addition, Treasury received warrants to purchase common shares or other securities from the banks at a time of the CPP investment. The purpose of the additional securities was to enable taxpayers to recap additional returns on their investments as banks recover."

In a May 2013 report, the Government Accountability Office stated, "As of March 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury had received about $222 billion from its Capital Purchase Program investments, exceeding the approximately $205 billion it had disbursed. Treasury estimated at the end of December 2012 that CPP would have an approximate lifetime income of $15 billion after all institutions had exited the program."

Other issues
Bachus also was active in advancing the search for Natalee Holloway, who went missing while on a senior trip to Aruba. Holloway attended high school in Mountain Brook, an affluent Birmingham suburb in the congressman's district.

In 2005, Bill Maher commented about the Army missing its recruiting goal by 42% in April, saying, "More people joined the Michael Jackson fan club. We've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit, and now we need warm bodies." Bachus responded to Maher's comments, saying "I think it borders on treason. In treason, one definition is to undermine the effort or national security of our country."

Insider Trading
In 2007, Bachus was accused of insider trading. The Congressional Ethics inquiry stemmed from an allegation by Peter Schweizer and later reported by 60 Minutes that Bachus made trades with a number of short-term stock options, betting that stocks would fall, after receiving sensitive non-public information on the state of the economy. Schweizer claimed that from July through November 2008, Bachus traded in options at least forty times. During this period, Bachus was one of the congressional leaders getting private briefings from Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke about the worsening financial crisis. Bachus said that he "never trades on non public information, or financial services stocks". He was subsequently cleared by the Office of Congressional Ethics, which on April 30, 2012, the announced that they had found no evidence of violations of insider-trading rules and recommended that the case against him be closed. Roderick Hills and Harvey Pitt, former Chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission who reviewed the accusations, wrote "the original source for these allegations was a sensational, but factually inaccurate, book, followed by an adulatory (but equally inaccurate) '60 Minutes' segment about it. The allegations in the book, vis-à-vis Mr. Bachus, are inaccurate; far worse, however, is that these allegations are laughable to serious students of insider trading law."

On April 9, 2009, Bachus said "Some of the men and women I work with in Congress are socialists," later stating that 17 members of the House of Representatives are socialists.

In a 2010 interview with the Birmingham News, Bachus spoke about the outlook he would bring to his chairmanship of the Financial Services Committee, saying "In Washington, the view is that the banks are to be regulated, and my view is that Washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks." The comment was criticized in a blog post by ThinkProgress.

On November 4, 2010, while in the midst of a battle for the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee with Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and immediately following the 2010 general election, Bachus told the South Shelby (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and candidates she endorsed cost the Republican Party control of the U.S. Senate, saying: "The Senate would be Republican today except for states (in which Gov. Palin endorsed candidates) like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. Sarah Palin cost us control of the Senate." He went on to say that Tea Party candidates did well in U.S. House races, but in the U.S. Senate races, "they didn't do well at all."

Conservative lawmaker Hugh Hewitt, and Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) immediately defended both Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement, crediting them with gains in both the House and the Senate. Hewitt and Muny further demanded that Bachus not be awarded chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. Palin responded with criticism of the "Bachus bigger government agenda," citing Bachus's support for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and "Cash for Clunkers."

Committee assignments

 * Committee on Financial Services (Chairman Emeritus)
 * Committee on the Judiciary
 * Chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial, and Antitrust Law. (Subcommittee Chairman)
 * Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Caucus memberships

 * Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus
 * Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
 * Congressional Cement Caucus
 * Congressional China Caucus
 * Congressional Constitution Caucus
 * Congressional Fire Services Caucus
 * Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
 * Congressional Steel Caucus
 * Friends of Switzerland Caucus
 * House Cancer Caucus
 * International Conservation Caucus
 * Passenger Rail Caucus
 * Republican Study Committee

Medical care advocacy
Bachus and his wife, Linda, have been recognized by multiple organizations for their support and contributions to medical research.

Bachus has been called a "champion for cancer patients"; he and Mrs. Bachus were awarded the National Distinguished Advocacy Award for Excellence in Cancer-Fighting Public Policy by The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the group's highest legislative honor.

Bachus was a member of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. During his Congressional tenure, he was also a member of the Cancer Caucus, Autism Caucus, Alzheimer's Task Force, Biomedical Research Caucus, Immigration Reform Caucus, Pro-Life Caucus.

In October 2014, Mr. and Mrs. Bachus were honored at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Ambassadors Ball for their efforts on behalf of the organization's Alabama-Mississippi chapter.

In September 2014, Linda Bachus was awarded Congressional Families Leadership Award for her role as the first executive director of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program.

Bachus sponsored legislation prioritizing palliative care.

U.S. Export-Import Bank
Bachus was nominated by President Donald Trump to be a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Export-Import Bank and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2019. He served until July 2023 when his term expired. He was nominated for a second term by President Joe Biden and confirmed in December 2023.

Personal life
Bachus has three children and two step-children with his wife, Linda.

title: Spencer Bachus


text:
Artur Davis

Artur Genestre Davis (born October 9, 1967) is an American attorney and former politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 7th congressional district from 2003 to 2011. He was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Alabama in the 2010 election. After losing in the primary, he moved to Virginia and joined the Republican Party. He rejoined the Democratic Party in 2015, switched to the Republican Party again in 2016, and then back to the Democrats in 2017, in his two attempts to be elected Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama in the 2015 and 2019 elections, losing both times.

Davis was an early supporter of Barack Obama's 2008 bid for the presidency, and one of the national co-chairs for Obama's 2008 campaign. Known for his oratorical skills, Davis made one of the nominating speeches for Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. While serving on the House Ways and Means Committee, Davis was the first African-American member of Congress to advocate that Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel give up the chairmanship of the tax committee in the wake of ethics charges against Rangel. In 2009 and 2010, Davis voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus to do so.

In 2009, Davis sought to become Alabama's first African-American Governor. In attempting to appeal to a broader electorate, he lost the support of black voters by opposing national health care reform and failing to meet with certain black political groups. He lost in the Democratic primary to Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, a more liberal Democrat. Shortly after, Davis announced he would not be running for re-election to the House in 2010, instead returning to the practice of law.

A 1990s honors graduate of Harvard University, in 2012 Davis became a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. He also began writing a column for the conservative National Review. He considered running for Congress as a Republican in the 2014 House elections in Virginia but did not do so. A resident of Virginia from 2011 until 2014, Davis spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention in support of the Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney. He was defeated in his two attempts to be elected Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama in the 2015 and 2019 mayoral elections.

Early life, education, and early career
Davis was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on October 9, 1967, 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. He earned a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School before returning to Alabama. He was the recipient of the Best Oralist Award in the 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.

Elections
Davis ran for the House in the Democratic primary against 10-year incumbent and former civil rights activist Earl F. Hilliard. He criticized Hilliard for taking a trip to Libya in 1997 despite U.S. sanctions. Davis lost the 2000 primary election 58–34%.
 * 2000

Davis ran again in 2002. The race attracted national attention because both candidates made the Israeli–Palestinian conflict an issue, and both attracted support and money from outside of Alabama—Davis from Jewish Americans and supporters of Israel, Hilliard from Arab-Americans and supporters of the Palestinians. During the campaign, Hilliard questioned whether Davis was "black enough" to represent the district. Davis narrowly won the primary requiring a runoff in June. He won the runoff easily, assuring him victory in November in the heavily Democratic district, and he began his term in January 2003.
 * 2002

Davis was challenged in the 2004 primary by Albert Turner Jr., a son of a leader of Selma's "Bloody Sunday" march. Davis won the primary 88%–12%.
 * 2004

 * 2006

In the Democratic primary, he defeated political newcomer Eddison Walters 90–9%. He won the general election unopposed.

 * 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 elected to retire.

In 2007 he became the first Congressman outside Illinois to endorse Senator 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 also served as one of Obama's national campaign co-chairs.

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
As a freshman in Congress, Davis led the successful fight to reverse funding cuts for minority land grant colleges including Tuskegee University. As a second term member, 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. In 2005, Davis 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 appointed to the Senior Whip Team for the Democratic Caucus 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.

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 an ongoing ethics investigation.

Davis twice voted against the 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 Democratic-leaning district to vote against the legislation.

In April 2009, Davis voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Committee assignments
In Congress, Davis was a member of the House Committee on the Budget, Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on the Judiciary and several of their subcommittees. He was a member of the 30 Something Working Group and the Congressional Black Caucus.

2010 gubernatorial election
On February 6, 2009, Davis announced his candidacy for Governor of Alabama in 2010. His opponent in the Democratic primary was state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks.

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 that he was snubbing African Americans in order to court white votes. Davis lost the Democratic primary to Sparks on June 1, 2010, ending his gubernatorial bid. Birmingham News columnist John Archibald questioned Davis' strategy, saying that he campaigned "as it if were a general election and he wanted to claim some conservative street cred." Archibald believed that this hurt him with Democratic primary voters in Alabama, who are "blue dots in this big red state," and resulted in him becoming "the first African-American candidate in a statewide Alabama race to lose the black vote." After the primary, state Representative Roderick Scott said black Democrats “can no longer take for granted they will receive the African-American vote.” Davis announced he was retiring from politics and would return to private practice at the conclusion of his term in Congress in 2011. Davis was succeeded by Democrat Terri Sewell, the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Alabama.

Post-congressional career
For a time, Davis was doubtful he would run for public office again. He said, "Alabama is not friendly to independent candidacies” and suggested that running as a Republican would not be a viable option because the Alabama Republican Party had declined to embrace politicians who have switched parties such as former U.S. Congressman Parker Griffith who switched parties and lost the Republican primary in 2010. He changed his voter registration from Alabama to Virginia in 2012, and said he would run as a Republican were he to seek political office in the future.

In the Spring of 2012, he announced he would become a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. In 2012, the conservative National Review online started publishing some of his political commentary. In February 2012, Davis told Politico that some Democrats wanted to argue that Obama's critics were motivated by racism, which Davis called "a huge mistake ... a tactic that's likely to backfire" as it would lead "substantial number of Americans" to believe they were being called racists because they did not support Obama.

In August 2012, he cited remarks by Vice President Joe Biden for "racial viciousness" for remarks Davis said were insulting to African Americans, and said, "Governor Romney is absolutely right as the Obama campaign is running a divisive campaign … pitting one set of Americans against another issue after issue". Davis also said, "It wouldn't be so bad if Barack Obama had not campaigned in such a different way." Davis spoke at the Republican National Convention in August 2012 to voice additional criticisms of Barack Obama. Following Mitt Romney's loss in the 2012 presidential election, Davis said: "The Republican conservative base seems perilously close to shrinking to white southern evangelicals, senior white males, and upper income Protestants."

In December 2013, it was announced that Davis would not run for retiring Republican Congressman Frank Wolf's seat in Virginia. Davis had previously expressed interest in running for Wolf's seat after his move to the state.

In late June 2014, it was reported that Davis was considering running for Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, in 2015. On July 18, 2014, Davis announced that he would launch an exploratory campaign for a mayoral run. On January 22, 2015, he officially declared his candidacy as a Democrat. On August 25, 2015, Artur Davis was defeated in the mayoral election by incumbent mayor Todd Strange. Following this loss, Davis expressed interest in running for the Montgomery County Commission in 2016 as a Democrat. However, the Alabama Democratic Party refused to allow Davis on the ballot, as he had supported a Republican candidate for office within the past four years.

Davis was also a candidate for Mayor of Montgomery in the August 2019 mayoral election, but lost again, winning 1,784 votes and placing sixth of twelve candidates.

title: Artur Davis