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Bobby Bright

Former U.S. Representative (January 2009 to January 2011)

(Bright.house.gov)

Why He Matters

Without Obama at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2008, Bright might never have made it to Washington - at least not as a Democrat. Alabama's 2nd district has been represented by Republicans for over 40 years, but in November 2008 he eked out a narrow victory over Republican Jay Love, thanks to Obama's popularity with black Southern voters and the resulting "coattail" effect.

The former non-partisan Montgomery, Ala., mayor, who was courted by both parties to run for Congress, went Democratic in 2008 in part because of these coattails. According to a campaign memo, Bright's advisers calculated that if Obama became the nominee, high voter turnout from African-Americans (28 percent of registered voters in the district are black) could gain Bright a good five percentage points over his Republican opponent.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Mayor of Montgomery, Ala. (1999 to 2009); practicing attorney (1983 to 1999); corrections officer (1977 to 1979)
Birthday: July 21, 1952
Hometown: Midland City, Alabama
Alma Mater: B.A.-Auburn University (1975), M.S.-Troy State University (1977), J.D.-Faulkner University (1982)
Spouse: Lynn
Religion: Baptist

Committees: Armed Services, Agriculture, Small Business
DC Office: 1205 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-2901
District Offices: Dothan: 188 North Foster Street, Suite 105, Dothan, Alabama 36303Phone: 334-794-9680Montgomery: 22 Monroe St., Suite 1B, Montgomery, AL 36104Phone: 334-277-9113Opp: 101 North Main Street, Opp, AL 36467Phone: 334-493-9253Ozark: 275 N. Union Avenue, Suite 214, Ozark, AL 36360Phone: 334-445-4600
Email
Web site

Path to Power

Born to cotton share-croppers in the rural Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama, Bright was the 13th of 14 children. He attended Enterprise State Junior College and Auburn University where he graduated with a B.S. in political science in 1975. After completing an M.S. in criminal justice and working for a few years as a corrections officer, Bright attended Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery where he earned a J.D. in 1982.

Bright practiced law in Montgomery for 16 years and raised three children with his wife Lynn, a now-retired judge, before entering politics. In 1999 he was first elected mayor of Montgomery, a non-partisan post which he held for nine years. During his time as mayor, Bright oversaw significant job growth in Montgomery, but also an increase in taxes, a point the GOP emphasized during the 2008 election. Supporters say Bright did a great deal to improve race relations in the city.

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The Issues

During the 2008 election, Bright warned his Republican opponent not to paint him as "a liberal, Nancy Pelosi Democrat," and he certainly isn't. On hot-button social issues like gun control and abortion rights, Bright reflects the conservatism of his district. He is also a strong supporter of the military and is a member of the House Blue Dog Coalition, a fiscally conservative House caucus.

In his short tenure in Congress, Bright has already bucked the party leadership on several important pieces of legislation; he has voted with his Democratic colleagues 70.9 percent of the time in the the 111th Congress.

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The Network

Bright is close to other members of the Alabama congressional delegation, including Artur Davis, who was instrumental in recruiting him for the Democratic Party.

Just prior to the 2008 election, Bright won the support of the fiscally-conservative House Blue Dogs, a group that he joined upon his arrival in Washington. He also has ties to some Republicans in Alabama politics such as state Sen. Harri Anne Smith, who endorsed Bright over his Republican challenger.

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