Parker Griffith
Encyclopedia
Parker Griffith, M.D. (born August 6, 1942) is the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party
, having switched from the Democratic Party
on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.
. He taught 7th-grade arithmetic for less than a year at T.H. Harris Junior High School in Metairie, Louisiana
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.
Griffith was recruited on a "cold call" to Alabama and established the Huntsville Cancer Treatment Center, the state's first 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 partnered with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He retired from medicine in December 1992, though he still holds a license to practice in both Alabama and Texas.
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%.
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 critical medical care.
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. Griffith stated he was in favor of 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.
as Speaker as she is "divisive and polarizing". 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. 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. Forbes also lost his primary campaign following his switch. 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. 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 serve in Alabama's 5th district
, since John Benton Callis
(1868 – 1869).
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, 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'.
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.
. Brooks received 51% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off. Griffith received 33%. Conservative activist Les Phillip received 16%.
with his wife, Virginia. The couple had 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 funding in 2005, the foundation has donated over $50,000 to area schools.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, having switched from the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.
Early life, education and career
Griffith was born in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. He taught 7th-grade arithmetic for less than a year at T.H. Harris Junior High School in Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
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
Radiation oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer patients, using radiation therapy as the main modality of treatment. Radiation can be given as a curative modality, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. It may also be used palliatively, to...
, 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.
Griffith was recruited on a "cold call" to Alabama and established the Huntsville Cancer Treatment Center, the state's first 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 partnered with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He retired from medicine in December 1992, though he still holds a license to practice in both Alabama and Texas.
Early political career
Griffith unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Huntsville against three-term mayor Loretta SpencerLoretta Spencer
Loretta Purdy Spencer was the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama. Her first term began October 4, 1996, and her last term ended on November 3, 2008....
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%.
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 critical medical care.
Committees
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
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
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
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and America's dominance in space. Griffith stated he was in favor of increased defense spending, supports gun rights, a balanced budget, secure borders, investment in nuclear power and offshore drilling and is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
. He opposes same-sex marriage. Griffith voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
, cap-and-trade legislation and the 2009 economic stimulus act.
Party switch
Parker was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, 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 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."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
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
as Speaker as she is "divisive and polarizing". 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. His switch is the first time a member of Congress switched from the majority party to the minority party since New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Representative Michael Forbes
Michael Forbes
Michael Patrick Forbes is a politician from the state of New York.- Early life and career:Michael Patrick Forbes was born on 16 July 1952 in Riverhead, New York. Forbes graduated from the SUNY Albany. Forbes worked as an assistant for Republicans U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato and U.S. Rep. Connie Mack...
' switch from Republican to Democrat in 2000. Forbes also lost his primary campaign following his switch. 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. Shortly after switching parties, Griffith joined the Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, 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
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
in 2009, but in 2010 garnered a 95.
Upon Griffith's party switch, he became the first Republican to serve in Alabama's 5th district
Alabama's 5th congressional district
Alabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and Jackson. It also includes parts of Morgan County.It is...
, since John Benton Callis
John Benton Callis
John Benton Callis was a postbellum U.S. Representative from Alabama and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
(1868 – 1869).
2008
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. He won the June 2008 Democratic primary election with 90% of the vote, defeating physicist David Maker. Cramer had endorsed Griffith in the primary.Griffith faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
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, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
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'.
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
Jeff Sessions
Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...
(whose seat was up for re-election) won every county in the district. His victory, and that of Bobby Bright
Bobby Bright
Bobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state....
in the 2nd District, gave Alabama two white Democratic congressmen for the first time since Glen Browder
Glen Browder
John Glen Browder is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Browder was born in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated from Edmunds High School in 1961. He attended Presbyterian College, receiving a B.A. in history in 1965. He went on...
and Tom Bevill
Tom Bevill
Tom Bevill , a Democrat, was a fifteen-term U.S. congressman representing Alabama's 4th Congressional District .-Early years and education:...
left the House in 1997.
2010
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 BrooksMo Brooks
Morris Jackson "Mo" Brooks, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Brooks was born in 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963...
. Brooks received 51% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off. Griffith received 33%. Conservative activist Les Phillip received 16%.
Electoral history
Personal life
He resides in HuntsvilleHuntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
with his wife, Virginia. The couple had 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 funding in 2005, the foundation has donated over $50,000 to area schools.
External links
- Congressman Parker Griffith official U.S. House site
- Parker Griffith for Congress official campaign site
- Collected news and commentary from PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
- Parker Griffith Family Foundation