MONTGOMERY, Ala. — After months of speculation, former Congressman Artur Davis has officially declared he is running for Mayor in his hometown of Montgomery.
In a video posted to his YouTube account this morning, Davis declared his intentions, addressing an agenda that includes everything from education to industry.
“I am Artur Davis, former congressman, native of Montgomery, 31-year resident of this city, and yes, as of this moment, I am officially running to be your Mayor.”
“I have this belief,” Davis continued, “that a skinny kid with big glasses who grew up in Ridgecrest can still be the Mayor of the City of Montgomery, and I will spend the next eight months fighting everyday for your trust.
“And I owe this community too much not to fight for its future.”
Citing the problems with neglected neighborhoods, crime, and public schools that have plagued Montgomery in recent years, Davis asked to be held personally accountable if things didn’t turn around in the first four years of his time as mayor.
On the subject of jobs, Davis promised not to rest on the laurels of the area’s recruitment of Hyundai over a decade ago.
“Let’s talk about jobs in Montgomery. Hyundai is a source of pride, and my old friend Mayor Bobby Bright still deserves a lot of the credit for it. But what if Coach Saban celebrated his first title at Alabama instead of building on it? It’s time for us to start envisioning what the jobs of Montgomery’s future are going to look like.”
Though the mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, Davis is perhaps most well known for his time as a Democratic Congressman, followed by a high-profile party switch. He was one of only 34 house Democrats, and the only member of the House Black Caucus, who voted against ObamaCare in 2010. Later that year he unsuccessfully pursued the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He became a Republican in 2012, citing the Obama Administration’s policies that he believed did little more than “punish businesses and job creators with more taxes.” That same year he spoke in support of GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the Republican National Convention.
The mayoral election will be held on August 25th. Current Mayor Todd Strange is seeking re-election. Former Alabama State House member and Democratic Attorney General nominee in 2014 Joe Hubbard is also rumored to be running.
The video announcing Davis’s candidacy can be viewed below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRvjjo8RTP4
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
