LINCOLN DAVIS* Age: 66* Birthplace: Fentress County* Education: He is a 1966 graduate of Tennessee Tech.* Political career: A lifelong Democrat, he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1980, the state Senate in 1996 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002.* Personal: He and his wife of 46 years, Lynda, a retired public school teacher, live in Pall Mall, Tenn., and have three daughters and five grandchildren. They are members of First Baptist Church in Byrdstown.
U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., said Monday that he will seek his fourth term in Congress, ending speculation that the 66-year-old lawmaker might join two other Tennessee Democrats retiring this year from congressional districts President Obama did not carry in the presidential race.
In his campaign announcement, Rep. Davis sought to emphasize his independence in a congressional district where President Obama received only 34 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential election.
“I have always put my independent Tennessee values and the needs of my constituents ahead of partisan politics, and I will continue to do so,” he said in a statement.
Two other moderate Democrats in Tennessee districts where Obama didn’t win a majority in 2008 — Bart Gordon in the 6th Congressional District around Nashville and John Tanner in the 8th District of Western Tennessee — said in December that they will not seek re-election.
Rep. Davis already has several well-funded Republican challengers this year, including physician Scott DesJarlais and former congressional aide Jack Bailey — each of whom raised more than $100,000 last year to start their campaigns. Ron Harwell, of Rockwood, Tenn., and Don Strong, of Crossville, Tenn., also are running as Republicans.
Rep. Davis, a former state legislator, was elected to the U.S. House in 2002 after Republican Congressman Van Hilleary vacated the seat to run unsuccessfully for governor. A Fentress County native, Rep. Davis said he is uniquely qualified to represent the 4th District, which stretches over 24 East and Middle Tennessee counties from Alabama to Kentucky.
“Representing the fourth most rural congressional district with the third highest rate of low-wage earners in the country is a unique challenge,” he said. “I understand the needs, desires and hopes of my neighbors and those across the district.”
Rep. Davis is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition who voted against the bank bailout and cap-and-trade bills.