Artur Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Artur Davis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 7th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Earl Hilliard
Succeeded by	Terri Sewell
Personal details
Born	Artur Genestre Davis (1967-10-09) October 9, 1967 (age 57) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (before 2012, 2015–2016, 2017–present)
Other political affiliations	Republican (2012–2015, 2016–2017)
Spouse	Tara Johnson
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD)

Artur Genestre Davis (born October 9, 1967) is an American lawyer and former politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Alabama from 2003 to 2011. He was part of the Democratic Party during this time.

After his time in Congress, he tried to become Governor of Alabama in 2010 but did not win. He then moved to Virginia and joined the Republican Party. Later, he changed parties several times. He ran for Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama in 2015 and 2019, but he did not win either election.

Artur Davis was an early supporter of Barack Obama when Obama ran for president in 2008. Davis even gave one of the speeches to nominate Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He was known for being a good speaker. While in Congress, he was the first African-American member of the Congressional Black Caucus to vote against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a major healthcare law.

Early Life and Education

Artur Davis was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on October 9, 1967. His mother and grandmother raised him. He went to Jefferson Davis High School.

He then attended Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1990. He also earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. After finishing his studies, he returned to Alabama.

Early Career Paths

Before becoming a politician, Davis worked as an intern at the Southern Poverty Law Center. He also worked as a civil rights lawyer. Later, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney, which means he was a lawyer for the government.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Davis during the 111th Congress

Artur Davis represented Alabama's 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is where laws are made for the country.

Congressional Elections

Davis first ran for the House in 2000 against the person who held the seat for 10 years, Earl F. Hilliard. Davis lost that election.

He ran again in 2002. This election gained national attention because both candidates received support and money from outside Alabama. Davis won the primary election and then the main election, starting his term in January 2003.

In 2004, Davis was challenged by Albert Turner Jr. Davis won this primary election with a large majority of votes.

For the 2006 election, he won the Democratic primary easily. He then won the general election without anyone running against him.

In 2008, Davis was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means. This is an important committee that deals with taxes and other money matters.

Davis speaks at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

In 2007, he was the first member of Congress outside of Illinois to support Barack Obama for president. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Davis gave a speech to officially nominate Obama. He also helped lead Obama's campaign.

Time in Congress

As a new member of Congress, Davis helped to get funding restored for colleges that serve minority students, like Tuskegee University. He also helped restore funding for a program that renovates public housing.

In 2005, Davis helped create a national cord blood bank. This bank helps provide blood transfusions for people with diseases like sickle cell anemia. He also received a good grade for his work on issues important to veterans.

Davis was part of the leadership team for the Democratic Party in the House. He also co-chaired a group of moderate Democrats called the New Democrat Coalition.

He was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus to vote against the healthcare reform law in March 2010. This law was supported by President Obama and most Democrats.

Committee Roles

During his time in Congress, Davis was a member of several important committees. These included the House Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on the Judiciary. He was also part of the Congressional Black Caucus.

2010 Governor Election

On February 6, 2009, Davis announced he would run for Governor of Alabama in 2010. His main opponent in the Democratic primary was Ron Sparks.

During his campaign, Davis tried to appeal to a wider group of voters. He voted against President Obama's new healthcare law, which caused some disagreement, especially among black voters. He also chose not to meet with some black political groups.

Davis lost the Democratic primary to Ron Sparks on June 1, 2010. After this, he said he would not run for re-election to Congress and would return to being a lawyer. Terri Sewell took his place in Congress. She was the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama.

After Congress

After leaving Congress, Davis was unsure if he would run for public office again. He moved from Alabama to Virginia in 2012. He said that if he ran for office in the future, it would be as a Republican.

In 2012, he became a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. He also started writing articles for a conservative magazine called National Review.

In August 2012, Davis spoke at the Republican National Convention. He criticized President Barack Obama during his speech.

In 2014, it was reported that Davis was thinking about running for Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, in 2015. He officially announced his candidacy as a Democrat in January 2015. However, he lost the mayoral election to the current mayor, Todd Strange.

After this loss, Davis wanted to run for the Montgomery County Commission. But the Alabama Democratic Party did not allow him to be on the ballot. This was because he had supported a Republican candidate in the past four years.

Davis ran for Mayor of Montgomery again in August 2019, but he lost that election as well.

Election Results

Here are some of the election results for Artur Davis:

Images for kids

• 

  Rep Davis meeting Alabama troops preparing to leave for Iraq war, 2003 (US House photo)