Comrade: Rep. Earl F. Hilliard, an enemy for a democratic and free Gambia was trounced in his bid to represent Alabama's 7th Congressional district. This is good news. Please the following excerpts: 06/26/02 MARY ORNDORFF News Washington correspondent Artur Davis upset veteran U.S. Rep. Earl Hilliard on Tuesday, handily winning a heated Democratic primary in Alabama's 7th Congressional District. Davis, who narrowly trailed in a three-way primary June 4, tagged Hilliard with his first defeat in a 28-year political career. With 99 percent of the precincts counted, Davis had 52,357 votes, or 56 percent, to Hilliard's 41,049, or 44 percent. "The breadth of our victory across racial lines and urban and rural lines is something I'm very proud of," Davis said before his acceptance speech in downtown Birmingham. "The voters rejected a campaign based on division and firmly repudiated it across the district." The 12-county 7th District, joining Birmingham with the rural Black Belt, has a 62 percent black population. Hilliard was the first black elected to Congress from Alabama since Reconstruction. Republicans sat out the race in the heavily Democratic district, so Davis faces only Libertarian candidate Lauren Orth McCay in the fall. Davis, 34, a Birmingham lawyer, muscled his way into a showdown, trailing Hilliard by 2,700 votes June 4. In the runoff, he led in eight of the counties, including the key battleground of Dallas County, where turnout was strong and Hilliard had won June 4. "There are a lot of needs in this district. We have a health care crisis, an economic development crisis and we have an education crisis," said Davis, who relied on out-of-state support from pro-Israel interests. "That is what this campaign has been about." During the three-week runoff campaign, Hilliard questioned whether Davis could effectively represent blacks in the district. On Tuesday night, he thanked his family and friends for their support through the years. "I won them all except this one," the five-term incumbent said. "I'm thankful having had the opportunity to serve, but I've always honored the decision of the voters. ... Now I guess I'll have plenty of time for my grandkids." When loyalists who gathered for his concession speech urged him to run for mayor of Birmingham, Hilliard smiled broadly and said, "I heard what they shouted." The runoff escalated in the final two weeks into a generational, racial and ideological battle. Hilliard tapped veterans of the civil rights movement for his support. But Davis, who holds two degrees from Harvard University, appealed to white voters and bypassed the traditional black power structure by cobbling together his own network. Davis' first run was in 2000, when Hilliard trounced him in the same primary by 24 percentage points. Hilliard, flanked in recent days by nationally known politicians and preachers, asked voters to preserve his 10 years of seniority and turn back the pro-Israel interests financing Davis. Within minutes of winning the nomination, Davis announced his intention to mend fences with the national Democratic leaders who had backed Hilliard. He said he would call House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., and the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. Davis took direct aim at Hilliard's record and blamed him for the falling availability of affordable health care in the district and the persistent poverty and unemployment. He attracted Jewish-American donors in large numbers by highlighting Hilliard's 1997 trip to Libya and his recent votes against resolutions supporting Israel. Bill Minor, 57, a Selma alternative school principal, said he voted against Hilliard for the first time. "I don't know of any funds directed to this district because of Earl Hilliard," said Minor. "I am not sure Davis can do anything about it, but I want to give him the opportunity." News staff writers Vicki McClure, Thomas Spencer, Chris Sanders and Anne Ruisi contributed to this report. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~