Birmingham,Alabama –
(AP) - State Rep. Earl Hilliard Junior said Monday he would seek the 7th District congressional seat once held by his father, who in 1992 became Alabama's first black congressman since Reconstruction.
The 39-year-old Hilliard announced his campaign for the
Democratic nomination during a downtown kickoff attended by
supporters including his father, Earl Hilliard Sr.
The younger Hilliard, a lawyer and independent filmmaker, said
he would be "my own man" as he tries to combat the crushing
poverty in the majority black district, which reaches from
Birmingham through rural west Alabama.
Birmingham attorney Terri Sewell previously announced her
candidacy in the 7th District race, and several others are
considering a bid.
The elder Hilliard served five terms in Washington after being
elected as Alabama's first black member of Congress since the
1800s. He was ousted by Rep. Artur Davis, who is giving up the
congressional seat as he seeks the Democratic nomination for
governor in 2010.
The younger Hilliard is in his first term in the Alabama House.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)