How Artur Davis Voted While Vying to be Ala.’s 1st Black Gov.

If Congressman Artur Davis wins in today’s Alabama primary, he’ll make history becoming the first Black Democratic nominee for governor in a state where George Wallace declared “segregation forever.”

But it might not be the victory we were waiting for.

Davis’s voting record in Congress indicates that he’s pro-public housing, pro-children’s health, pro-Black farmers, but also anti-abortion, anti-gays, and yes even anti-health care reform. On immigration, he’s mixed, supporting local enforcement of immigration laws but voting at least once against more funding for border security. In short, it’s pretty much what you’d expect of a man running for governor in the Deep South.

Davis, who’s represented Alabama’s 7th District since 2003, voted against national health care reform in March, telling reporters at the time that health care could be fixed “without having to do a massive systems overhaul.” Months earlier, he’d voted for the Stupak amendment to the health care bill, which would have banned the use of federal dollars for abortion.

Critics contend that Davis’s vote against health care was him laying the groundwork to get the support of white voters in Alabama today. Davis has also skipped seeking the support of the state’s civil rights organizations in the primary race, saying he’s going straight to the voters.

Maybe he had his white voters in mind last Friday when he failed to show up for the important House vote to repeal the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy—which disproportionately impacts people of color serving in the military.

Davis let folks know that if he had been there, he would have voted against the measure because according to his spokesperson, “he believes the Pentagon should be allowed to resolve the issue without congressional intervention.”

This wasn’t a surprise. In 2007, Davis voted against a federal bill that would have made it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. And in 2006, he voted for a bill that would have amended the U.S. Constitution to declare that marriage is between a man and a woman.

On immigration, he voted against a 2004 bill that would have banned federal dollars for hospitals providing emergency care to undocumented immigrants, but two years later he voted for a bill giving local and state cops the right to detain people suspected of being undocumented and turn them over to the feds.

On abortion, Davis has been mostly bad news.

When he arrived in Congress back in 2003, Davis voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which bans a form of late-term abortion, and he’s also voted for a bill making it illegal to transport a teenager across state lines to end a pregnancy and avoid parental consent forms. On the flip side—and in line with his support for the military—Davis voted yes on a 2005 amendment to a defense bill that would have made it legal for servicewomen to get abortions at military health care facilities. The amendment was later defeated.

So what’s the good news?

Davis has voted to extend unemployment insurance, to regulate the banking industry, and to give judges power over modifying mortgages. He also played a key role in reopening the Pigford settlement, making it possible for Black formers to get redress after decades of racism at the hands of the USDA. Jessica Hoffman reported on the plight of Black farmers in 2009 for ColorLines.

During the last Bush administration, Davis also came out forcefully for public housing, helping to keep funding for it in the federal budget, and in 2007, he voted to expand CHIP, the health insurance program for kids.

Davis is running in today’s primary against Ron Sparks, the state agriculture commissioner who’s white and has the backing of the old civil rights organizations Davis dissed in this campaign. Rep. John Lewis from Georgia though has thrown his support behind Davis along with the mayors of Selma and Mobile.

But even if he wins today, Davis will face an uphill battle against Republicans who are also picking their nominee from a pool of seven, including real estate developer Tim James. James made national headlines with his call for an English-only driver’s license exam.

Polls in Alabama close at 7 p.m. tonight.