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Parker Griffith

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Parker Griffith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th district
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byBud Cramer
Succeeded byMo Brooks
Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 7th district
In office
November 8, 2006 – January 3, 2009
Preceded byJeff Enfinger
Succeeded byPaul Sanford
Personal details
Born (1942-08-06) August 6, 1942 (age 82)
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (before 2009, 2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		Republican (2009–2013)
Independent (2013–2014)
SpouseVirginia Griffith
Children5
EducationLouisiana State University (BS)
Louisiana State University, New Orleans (MD)

Rolf Parker Griffith Jr. (born August 6, 1942) is a retired American physician, entrepreneur and politician who served in the Alabama State Senate from 2006 to 2008 and then as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district from 2009 to 2011.

A lifelong member of the Democratic Party, while serving in Congress, at the urging of Republicans he switched parties on December 22, 2009.[1][2][3] He ran for re-election in 2010 but was defeated in the Republican primary by Mo Brooks. Griffith ran against Brooks in a rematch in 2012 but was defeated by a larger margin. He later returned to the Democratic Party in 2014 and unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Alabama that year.[4]

Early life, education, and medical career

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Griffith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He taught 7th-grade arithmetic for less than a year at T.H. Harris Junior High School (later Middle School) in Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans prior to being admitted to medical school. He received his medical degree from the Louisiana State University Medical School in 1970 and served in residency at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. After serving 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 preparing to become a radiation oncologist, one 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 as a Medical Corps captain in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1970 to 1973, while continuing his medical training at the LSU Service Charity Hospital in New Orleans.[5]

Griffith was recruited on a "cold call" to Alabama and established the Huntsville Cancer Treatment Center.[which?][when?] As a physician, he provided discounted care to patients who lacked insurance. Griffith also conducted several clinical trials in conjunction with the University of Alabama School of Medicine, and partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.[6] He retired from medicine in December 1992, though he still holds a license to practice in both Alabama and Texas. As of February 18, 2024 the Alabama board of Medical Examiners and the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama hold no record for a licensed Parker Griffith.

Early political career

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Griffith unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Huntsville against the three-term incumbent, Loretta Spencer in 2004. He then won a seat in the Alabama State Senate, representing the 7th district. He carried 66% of the vote to his opponent's 34%.[7]

During his term in the State Senate, he sponsored bills to promote investment in alternative fuels, cut taxes, and establish a Statewide Trauma Care System to speed up critical medical care. [citation needed]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2008
See also: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

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 because of the district's and state's recent voting history. While Democrats still held most local offices as well as most state legislative seats in the area, the district's residents had become 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, ultimately, 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 prevailed by 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.

2010
See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

Griffith ran for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 2010, but was defeated in the June 1 Republican primary by Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks. Brooks received 51% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off. Griffith received 33%. Conservative activist Les Phillip received 16%.

2012
See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In January 2012, he filed for a rematch against Brooks in the Republican primary. He said of the incumbent, "We'll contrast my time in Congress with my opponent's time in Congress. The distinction is clear, he has wandered away from many of the issues people want us to address."[14] Brooks defeated him in the rematch 71%–29%, a landslide margin of 42 points. He won all five of the counties.[15]

2014
See also: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

Supporters of Griffith circulated petitions to place him on the November ballot as an Independent.[16] Griffith considered running but decided against it.[17]

Tenure

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Griffith has stated that he leans conservative on a variety of issues, though not all. He states 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.[18]

Griffith voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act, cap-and-trade legislation and the 2009 economic stimulus act.[19]

Party switch

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Griffith was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition,[20] but on December 22, 2009, he announced he would become a Republican. He cited the health care bill as a major reason for his switch, and he 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.[21]

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".[1] He also opposed the White House's decision to cancel a missile defense shield in Europe, which could have contributed to Huntsville's defense industry.[22] 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 1999.[23] Forbes also lost his primary campaign following his switch. The 5th was one of the few districts in the former Confederacy that, at the time, had 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.[24][25] Shortly after switching parties, Griffith joined the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of conservative House Republicans.

Griffith's voting record veered sharply to the right after his switch. He'd garnered a 56 from the American Conservative Union in 2009, but in 2010 garnered a 95.

Upon Griffith's party switch, he became the first Republican to represent Alabama's 5th district since John Benton Callis, who was elected to a single term (1868-1870) during Reconstruction.

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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  • Missile Defense (co-chair)
  • Modeling and Simulation
  • NASA House Action Committee

2014 gubernatorial election

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Main article: 2014 Alabama gubernatorial election

Griffith ran for Governor of Alabama in the 2014 election. He returned to the Democratic Party in February 2014, with the State Party voting to reinstate him. He was successful in obtaining the party's nomination but lost decisively to the incumbent, Robert J. Bentley, in the general election.[26]

During the election, Griffith conducted an interview with radio show host Matt Murphy. On September 10, 2014, Murphy revealed that the two had an off-air altercation, during which Griffith called Murphy a "pussy", "piece of shit", and "motherfucker". Murphy also alleged that Griffith had threatened to "whip [Murphy's] ass". Griffith apologized for the incident.[27]

Post-election activities

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During the 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama, Griffith publicly supported Republican candidate Katie Britt, stating he had one of her campaign signs in his yard.[28] In April 2022, Griffith appeared on The Jeff Poor Show, a radio program, where he criticized Michael Durant, one of Britt's opponents in the election. During his appearance, Griffith diagnosed Durant with post-traumatic stress disorder without medical backing and compared Durant to Adolf Hitler and Mao Zedong.[29] Durant's campaign responded with a statement calling on Britt to denounce Griffith's comments, calling Griffith's remarks "a slanderous attack on all veterans".[30]

Personal life

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Griffith resides in Huntsville with his wife, Virginia. The couple has five children and 11 grandchildren (to date). He co-founded the Griffith Family Foundation, which awards cash grants to elementary school libraries in northern Alabama. Since its founding in 2005, the foundation has donated over $50,000 to area schools.[6]

Griffith is an Episcopalian.[31]

Electoral history

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2008
Alabama's 5th Congressional District House Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Parker Griffith 158,324 52
Republican Wayne Parker 147,314 48
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
Alabama Republican Primary, 5th Congressional District, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 35,746 51
Republican Parker Griffith 23,525 33
Republican Les Phillip 11,085 16
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
Alabama Republican Primary, 5th Congressional District, 2012[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 65,123 71
Republican Parker Griffith 26,680 29
Main article: 2014 Alabama gubernatorial election
2014 Alabama gubernatorial election[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert J. Bentley (incumbent) 750,231 63.56% +5.66%
Democratic Parker Griffith 427,787 36.24% −5.86%
Write-in 2,395 0.20% N/A
Total votes 1,180,413 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kraushaar, Josh (December 22, 2009). "House Dem blames leaders for party switch". The Politico. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  2. ^ "House Dem to switch to Republican". CNN. December 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 29, 2009. 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.
  3. ^ Schouten, Fredreka (December 22, 2009). "Officials: House Democrat will switch to GOP". USA Today. Retrieved December 22, 2009. WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior House aides say freshman Democratic lawmaker Parker Griffith of Alabama is switching to the Republican Party
  4. ^ "Parker Griffith talks about party switch, returns as a Democrat to run for governor". AL.com. March 29, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  5. ^ "Congressman And Radiation Oncologist Parker Griffith, M.D. Advocating For Our Speciality" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Parker Griffith". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010.
  7. ^ Flashpoint Blog Archived March 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Campbell, Steve. Griffith is running for Cramer's seat Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Huntsville Times, April 10, 2008.
  9. ^ Lowry, Bob. Bud Cramer says he is endorsing Parker Griffith Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Huntsville Times, April 10, 2008
  10. ^ Osborne, Matt (December 23, 2009). "Parker Griffith's Christmas Present To Alabama Democrats". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009.
  11. ^ U.S. House, Alabama – 2nd District Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine CQ Politics
  12. ^ 2008 Competitive House Race Chart Archived July 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine The Cook Political Report, August 30, 2008
  13. ^ 2008 House Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, July 19, 2008
  14. ^ "Parker Griffith says he will challenge Mo Brooks again for Congress | al.com". Blog.al.com. January 12, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  15. ^ "AL District 5 – R Primary Race – Mar 13, 2012". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  16. ^ "Parker Griffith to challenge Mo Brooks as an independent candidate for Congress? | AL.com". Blog.al.com. October 31, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Steve Doyle (February 4, 2014). "Party-switching former Congressman Parker Griffith mulls run for Alabama governor (updated)". AL.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  18. ^ NASA versus the deficit (December 19, 2009). "NASA versus the deficit". Space Politics. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  19. ^ "Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives website". Clerk.house.gov. November 7, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  20. ^ "BlueDog Coalition". House.gov. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  21. ^ "Democrat in House switches to GOP". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. December 23, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  22. ^ "Congressman Parker Griffith announces party change". WBRC. December 23, 2009.
  23. ^ Staff report (July 18, 1999). "Congressman Forbes defects from GOP". Amarillo Globe-News. Associated Press. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  24. ^ Mark Murray (January 4, 2010). "Most of Griffith's staff resigns". First Read. MSNBC.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  25. ^ David Weigel (January 4, 2010). "Parker Griffith's Staff Exits Stage Left". The Washington Independent. Center for Independent Media. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  26. ^ Aiello, Claire (February 3, 2014). "Sources: Parker Griffith Likely To Run For Governor". WHNT. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  27. ^ Gore, Leada (September 10, 2014). "'This is what happens when someone debates Parker Griffith:' Governor responds to foul-mouthed challenger". AL.com. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  28. ^ Poor, Jeff (November 25, 2021). "Fmr U.S. Rep. Griffith: 'I've got a Katie Britt sign in my front yard — Democrats cannot win in Alabama'". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  29. ^ Jackson, Dale (April 7, 2022). "7 Things: Knives out for Durant, Jefferson County Schools prayer decision draws ire in Alabama and more..." Yellowhammer News. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  30. ^ Speakman, Jamie (April 7, 2022). "Mike Durant: "Katie Britt's Democrat Surrogate Disgracefully Attacks Veterans"". Cullman Daily. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  31. ^ "Faith on the Hill: 2008" (PDF). Pew Research Center.
  32. ^ Chapman, Beth. "AL Secretary of State". Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  33. ^ "Alabama Election Results". The New York Times. December 14, 2018.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th congressional district
2009–2011 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Alabama
2014 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
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