Former Rep. Artur Davis, a four-term Democratic congressman from Alabama who recently defected to the Republican Party, will campaign for Mitt Romney in the critical swing state of Virginia on Wednesday.
Mr. Davis, who is black, was once an up-and-coming member of the Democratic Party who served as an Obama campaign co-chair in 2008 and seconded then-Sen. Barack Obama’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention that year.
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Back then, the conservative-leaning Democrat said he hoped Mr. Obama’s presidency would push the Democratic Party to the center.
After a unsuccessful campaign for governor of Alabama and a bit of political soul-searching, Mr. Davis jumped ship to the GOP, saying that his party had become hostile ground for Southern conservative Democrats.
“I think the Obama administration has candidly gone too far to the left,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in May. “You can raise all kinds of questions on whether that’s good politics or not. Obviously, the election will determine that.”
Buzzfeed first reported Mr. Davis’ decision to stump with Mr. Romney, and a Romney aide confirmed it to The Washington Times.
Mr. Davis will appear with Virginia GOP Victory Chair Pete Snyder and a local business owner who cares for a family member on Medicare at an event in Arlington on Wednesday afternoon.
