Parker Griffith
| Parker Griffith | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Bud Cramer |
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Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 7th district |
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| In office 2006–2009 |
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| Preceded by | Jeff Enfinger |
| Succeeded by | Paul Sanford |
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| Born | August 6, 1942 Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Political party | Republican (December 22, 2009–present) Democratic (2006 – December 22, 2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Griffith |
| Residence | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Medical School University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Profession | Radiation Oncologist United States Army Reserves Medical Unit |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Parker Griffith, M.D. (born August 6, 1942) is an American politician and the Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 5th congressional district since 2009. The district is based in Huntsville and includes most of the northern third of the state.
He is a retired, board certified Radiation Oncologist. He was a Blue Dog Democrat[1] but announced on December 22, 2009 that he had joined the Republican Party, ascribing his switch to disagreement with Democratic Party policies.[2][3][4] Griffith lost the Republican primary to Madison County commissioner Mo Brooks on June 1, 2010.
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[edit] Background
Griffith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He taught 7th-grade math at T.H. Harris Junior High School in Metairie, Louisiana prior to admission to medical school. He received his medical degree with honors from the Louisiana State University Medical School in 1970 and served in residency at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. After a stint at the LSU Service Charity Hospital in New Orleans and a year of neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, Griffith began his training to become a radiation oncologist, a cancer doctor who specializes in using radiation to cure cancer, training in radiation oncology through a combined program between UTMB and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970 to 1973 while continuing his medical training at the LSU Service Charity Hospital in New Orleans.[5]
Griffith moved to Huntsville and established the Huntsville Cancer Treatment Center, the state's first-ever comprehensive cancer-treatment facility. As a physician, he provided discounted and, in some cases, free care to patients who lacked insurance. Griffith also conducted several clinical trials in conjunction with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, and he partnered with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.[6] He retired from medicine in December 1992, though he still holds a license to practice in both Alabama and Texas. He resides in Huntsville and, along with his wife Virginia, has 5 children and eleven grandchildren. Griffith is a founder of the Griffith Family Foundation, which awards cash grants to elementary school libraries across North Alabama. Since its funding in 2005, the foundation has given over $50,000 to area schools.[6]
Griffith ran for Mayor of Huntsville against popular three-term mayor Loretta Spencer in 2004. He then ran for and won a seat in the Alabama State Senate, representing the 7th district, defeating Cheryl Baswell Guthrie in a race where he carried 66% of the vote to Guthrie's 34%.[7]
During his term, he sponsored bills to promote investment in alternative fuels, cut taxes and establish a Statewide Trauma Care System to speed critical medical care.
[edit] 2008 U.S. Congress campaign
On March 22, 2008 Griffith announced that he would run for the open seat in the 5th District. The district's 9-term incumbent, fellow Democrat Bud Cramer, was not running for reelection.[8] He won the June 2008 Democratic primary election with 90% of the vote, defeating physicist David Maker. Cramer had endorsed Griffith in the primary.[9]
Griffith faced Republican Wayne Parker, an insurance agent from Huntsville, in the November election. Parker had sought this seat unsuccessfully twice before, in 1994 and 1996, losing both times to Bud Cramer.
The 5th was considered one of the few realistic chances for a Republican pickup in what was forecast to be a very bleak year for Republicans, due to the district and state's recent voting history. While Democrats still hold most local offices as well as most state legislative seats in the area, but the district's residents have been increasingly willing to support Republicans at the national and state level. It last supported a Democrat for president in 1984,[10] and George W. Bush and John McCain won the district by wide double-digit margins in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Due to these trends, most forecasters rated the district as a toss-up. CQ Politics forecast the race as 'No Clear Favorite', The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Democratic Toss-Up', and The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Pure Toss-Up'.[11][12][13]
Griffith defeated Parker, taking 52 percent of the vote to Parker's 48 percent. He carried all but one of the district's seven counties. This came even as McCain (who carried the 5th with 61 percent of the vote) and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions (whose seat was up for re-election) won every county in the district. His victory, and that of Bobby Bright in the 2nd District, gave Alabama two white Democratic congressmen for the first time since Glen Browder and Tom Bevill left the House in 1997.
[edit] Congressional career
[edit] Political positions
Griffith has stated that he leans conservative on a variety of issues. He states that he is a fiscal conservative who has called repeatedly for reducing the national debt. He is a strong supporter of NASA and America's dominance in space.[14] Griffith also states that he favors increased defense spending, supports gun rights, a balanced budget, secure borders, investment in nuclear power and offshore drilling and is pro-life. He opposes same-sex marriage. Griffith voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act, cap-and-trade legislation and the 2009 economic stimulus act.[15]
[edit] Party switch
On December 22, 2009, Griffith announced he would become a Republican. He cited the health care bill as a major reason for his switch, and had also clashed with the Democrats over fiscal and foreign policy. During his announcement, he stated:
"I believe our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt."[16]
The GOP had been courting Griffith since August, when he publicly criticized the Democratic House leadership in the wake of raucous town hall meetings in his district, stating that he wouldn't vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker as she is "divisive and polarizing".[2] He also opposes the White House's decision to cancel a missile defense shield in Europe, which could have contributed to Huntsville's defense industry.[17] His switch is the first time a member of Congress switched from the majority party to the minority party since New York Representative Michael Forbes' switch from Republican to Democrat in 2000.[18] The 5th is one of the few districts in the former Confederacy that has not elected a Republican since Reconstruction.
In January 2010, rebelling against his party switch, Griffith's congressional staff resigned en masse, including his chief of staff, legislative director, press secretary, and his intern.[19][20]
Shortly after switching parties, Griffith joined the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of conservative House Republicans.
[edit] Committee assignments
[edit] Caucus memberships
- Army
- Cancer
- Doctors
- Down Syndrome
- Hydro
- Immigration Reform
- Missile Defense (co-chair)
- Modeling and Simulation
- NASA House Action Committee
- Parkinsons
- Pediatric Cancer
- Pro-Life
- Robotics
- Rural
- Rural Health Care Task Force (co-chair)
- Small Brewers
[edit] 2010 election
Griffith ran for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 2010, but was defeated in the June 1 GOP primary by Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks. Brooks received 51% of the vote, avoiding a run-off. Griffith received 33%. Conservative activist Les Phillip received 16%.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/index.html
- ^ a b Kraushaar, Josh (December 22, 2009). "House Dem blames leaders for party switch". The Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30896.html. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ^ "House Dem to switch to Republican". CNN. December 22, 2009. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/22/house-dem-to-switch-to-republican/. Retrieved December 22, 2009. "Sources confirm to CNN that Democratic Rep. Parker Griffith will announce Tuesday that he's switching parties and will run for re-election next year as a Republican."
- ^ Schouten, Fredreka (December 22, 2009). "Officials: House Democrat will switch to GOP". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-22-democrat-switch-gop_N.htm. Retrieved December 22, 2009. "WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior House aides say freshman Democratic lawmaker Parker Griffith of Alabama is switching to the Republican Party."
- ^ http://www.astro.org/Publications/ASTROnews/ASTROnews_Members/2009ASTROnews/documents/Summer09.pdf
- ^ a b "Parker Griffith (R-Ala.)". Washington Post / WhoRunsGov.com. http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Parker_Griffith.
- ^ Flashpoint Blog
- ^ Campbell, Steve. Griffith is running for Cramer's seat Huntsville Times, 2008-04-10.
- ^ Lowry, Bob. Bud Cramer says he is endorsing Parker Griffith Huntsville Times, April 10, 2008
- ^ Osborne, Matt (December 23, 2009). "Parker Griffith's Christmas Present To Alabama Democrats". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-osborne/parker-griffiths-christma_b_401412.html.
- ^ U.S. House, Alabama – 2nd District CQ Politics
- ^ 2008 Competitive House Race Chart The Cook Political Report, August 30, 2008
- ^ 2008 House Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, July 19, 2008
- ^ http://www.spacepolitics.com/2009/12/19/nasa-versus-the-deficit/
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll887.xml
- ^ AP (2009-12-23). Democrat in House switches to GOP. The Boston Globe, 23 December 2009. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/23/democrat_in_house_switches_to_gop/.
- ^ "Congressman Parker Griffith announces party change". WBRC. 2009-12-23. http://www.myfoxal.com/Global/story.asp?S=11721546.
- ^ Chad Pergram (22 December 2009). "Freshman Alabama Congressman Switches Parties to Join GOP". FOXNews.com. FOX News. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/22/rep-parker-griffith-switch-parties-republican/. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ^ Mark Murray (4 January 2010). "Most of Griffith's staff resigns". First Read. MSNBC.com. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/04/2164933.aspx. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ^ David Weigel (4 January 2010). "Parker Griffith's Staff Exits Stage Left". The Washington Independent. Center for Independent Media. http://washingtonindependent.com/73005/parker-griffiths-staff-exits-stage-left. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
[edit] External links
- Congressman Parker Griffith official U.S. House site
- Parker Griffith for Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
- Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
- Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Collected news and commentary from The New York Times
- Collected news and commentary from Politico
- Parker Griffith Family Foundation
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Bud Cramer |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 5th congressional district 2009-2010 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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