Parker Griffith

Rolf Parker Griffith Jr. (born August 6, 1942) is a retired American physician, entrepreneur and politician who served in the Alabama State Senate from 2006 to 2008 and then as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district from 2009 to 2011.

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.

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.

As a physician, he provided discounted care to patients who lacked insurance.

Griffith also conducted several clinical trials in conjunction with the University of Alabama School of Medicine, and partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

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, ultimately, 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 prevailed by taking 52 percent of the vote to Parker's 48 percent.

He carried all but one of the district's seven counties.

He retired from medicine in December 1992, though he still holds a license to practice in both Alabama and Texas.

As of February 18, 2024 the Alabama board of Medical Examiners and the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama hold no record for a licensed Parker Griffith.

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 because of the district's and state's recent voting history.

While Democrats still held most local offices as well as most state legislative seats in the area, the district's residents had become increasingly willing to support Republicans at the national and state level.

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.

Griffith unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Huntsville against the three-term incumbent, Loretta Spencer 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 up critical medical care.

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 Wayne Parker, an insurance agent from Huntsville, in the November election.

A lifelong member of the Democratic Party, while serving in Congress, at the urging of Republicans he switched parties on December 22, 2009.

He ran for re-election in 2010 but was defeated in the Republican primary by Mo Brooks.

Griffith ran for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 2010, but was defeated in the June 1 Republican primary by Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks.

Brooks received 51% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off.

Griffith received 33%.

Conservative activist Les Phillip received 16%.

Griffith ran against Brooks in a rematch in 2012 but was defeated by a larger margin.

In January 2012, he filed for a rematch against Brooks in the Republican primary.

He said of the incumbent, "We'll contrast my time in Congress with my opponent's time in Congress. The distinction is clear, he has wandered away from many of the issues people want us to address."

He later returned to the Democratic Party in 2014 and unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Alabama that year.

Griffith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.

He taught 7th-grade arithmetic for less than a year at T.H. Harris Junior High School (later Middle School) in Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans prior to being admitted to medical school.