Rep. Artur Davis Confirms Plans to Seek Higher Office

Rep. Artur Davis (D. - Birmingham) says he intends to run for either U.S. Senate or Governor within the next 5 years.

According to the Mobile Register:

Alabama's next gubernatorial contest comes next year; the state's junior senator, Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, is up for re-election in 2008, while U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby's term expires in 2010. On Thursday, however, Davis specified that he is looking more toward 2010 and would run for the Senate only if Shelby, a Tuscaloosa Republican, decided not to seek a fifth term.

Davis also said he would not challenge Sessions or seek the governorship against an incumbent Democrat. But if Republican Gov. Bob Riley successfully seeks re-election next year, Davis noted Riley would be barred from running again in 2010, leaving an open field.

Davis is an impressive politician. He is also about as conservative as anyone can be in today's Democratic Party. Not as conservative as his partner-in-crime Bud Cramer (D.-Huntsville), but certainly in the mainstream of Alabama Democrats. He's widely recognized as a "rising star" in Congress, and along with Tennessee's Harold Ford, Jr., has managed to bring a welcome degree of sanity to the Congressional Black Caucus.

It's just too bad that Davis isn't planning to run for Governor in the 2006 Democratic primary. Given his likely competition - a corrupt Don Siegelman and an inept Lucy Baxley - he'd be a shoo-in.