Political Career
While still serving as a Justice of the Peace, Green ran for mayor of Houston in 1981, finishing a distant fifth in the primary.
In 2004, Green entered the Democratic primary for the 9th District. The district had previously been the 25th, represented by freshman Democrat Chris Bell. However, Bell was placed in significant jeopardy as a result of the 2003 Texas redistricting. Although the district was heavily Democratic, it had a significantly larger number of blacks and Latinos than its predecessor. The old 25th had been 65 percent white, while the new 9th was 17 percent white, 37 percent black and 33 percent Latino. This left Bell vulnerable to a primary challenge from a black or Latino Democrat, and prompted him to file an ethics challenge against Tom DeLay.
In the March 9 primary, Green crushed Bell with 66 percent of the vote to Bell's 31 percent. He beat the Republican nominee Annette Molina in November. He was reelected unopposed in 2006 and faced only a Libertarian in 2008. This is not surprising given this district's partisan tilt; with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+22, it is the second-most Democratic district in Houston.
While in Congress, Green has focused on issues similar to those that he worked for while with the NAACP. Fair housing and hiring practices for the poor and minorities are some of his greatest concerns.
Read more about this topic: Al Green (politician)
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