The New Members of the House
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This article has been updated to reflect races that have been decided since the issue's press deadline.
Correction Appended
Alabama
Bobby Bright (D)
2nd district
Age: 56
Occupation: Former lawyer, mayor of Montgomery
Home: Montgomery
A favorite of the Blue Dog Democrats, Bright upset state Rep. Jay Love (R) in a traditionally Republican district by running as a social conservative and highlighting his record as a fiscally responsible mayor.
Bright, whose mayoral elections have been nonpartisan affairs, was recruited by both parties for the race to replace retiring Rep. Terry Everett (R). After months of teasing, he finally got into the race — as a Democrat — in early 2008.
Bright ran as an anti-abortion-rights, pro-gun rights, pro-military candidate who splits with the GOP on the Iraq War and illegal immigration. Despite speculation that Bright would be a difficult sell in the Republican district, he defeated Love by about 1,700 votes. The Republican was criticized early on in the race for a negative primary and runoff campaign against state Sen. Harri Anne Smith (R), who eventually endorsed Bright.
Bright, on the other hand, won his primary with 71 percent of the vote. Throughout his campaign, he earned the support of different groups because of his reputation as a fiscally responsible mayor and for his background in criminal justice and corrections.
In addition to his three terms as mayor, Bright was a practicing attorney for 16 years and is a former chief counsel to the Alabama Department of Corrections. He is on the advisory boards of Auburn and Troy universities, where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively.
According to a campaign spokeswoman, Bright is interested in serving on the House Agriculture and Armed Services committees.
The self-described “Southern conservative” has said that he is not going to Washington, D.C., to toe the party line, but to toe the line of the people in his district.
Alabama
Parker Griffith (D)
5th district
Age: 66
Occupation: Physician, state Senator
Home: Huntsville
Despite Republicans’ best efforts to flip the 5th district into their column, Griffith kept the seat in the Democrats’ hands, upholding a century-old voting trend. Griffith fills the seat of Rep. Bud Cramer (D), who served nine terms and helped found the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, which endorsed Griffith. Republicans had hoped to turn the conservative district red, but their candidate, businessman Wayne Parker, lost to Griffith by 3 points.
The race got highly personal, with Republicans hitting Griffith hard on his medical record, accusing him of under-treating cancer patients to increase profits. Griffith went on the defense, saying that the claims stemmed from a smear campaign that had been launched against him by a hospital where he once worked. Griffith tried to paint Parker as a corrupt lobbyist.
The GOP used the familiar tactic of trying to tie a conservative Democrat to more liberal national party leaders. A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee referred to Griffith as a “closet supporter” of liberals such as Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.). Griffith’s anti-abortion-rights and pro-gun-rights stances seem to have been more effective with voters, however.
Griffith worked as a teacher before becoming an oncologist. While in the Legislature, Griffith established a statewide trauma care system and worked to expand early childhood education programs, according to the campaign.
He and his wife, Virginia, are involved in numerous causes in the Huntsville area. They have five children and 10 grandchildren.
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