Biography:

When Artur Davis tried to run against incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard in 2000, he was a political afterthought, getting blown out by the longtime congressman in the Democratic primary. But what a difference two years made.

Boosted by a huge war chest _ particularly from out-of-state Jewish contributors angered over Hilliard's support for Palestinian causes _ Davis defeated the incumbent in a runoff, then cruised to victory unchallenged by a major candidate in the general election.

A native of Montgomery, Ala., Davis left the state to get his bachelor's degree at Boston University and law degree at Harvard, where he graduated cum laude and worked part-time as an intern for former Alabama Sen. Howell Heflin.

He returned to Alabama to practice law, working at the Southern Poverty Law Center and clerking for Myron Thompson, one of the first black federal judges.

He served four years as an assistant U.S. attorney before moving on to private practice in Birmingham, Ala., where he focused on criminal defense and workplace discrimination.

Past Campaigns:

Artur Davis lost to incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard in a landslide in 2000. But two years later, he forced a runoff and won the 2002 Democratic nomination race handily. With no Republican on the ballot, he easily defeated Libertarian opponent Lauren Orth McCay in the November 2002 general election.

Davis had the financial edge to soundly defeat his 2004 primary rival, Albert Turner.

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