In a move that will have some in certain political circles snickering "I told you so," former Alabama representative and Congressional Black Caucus member Artur Davis is crossing the ideological aisle. Davis, whom many once likened to Barack Obama and thought would become a Democratic power player, confirmed speculation he is not only switching parties but also may one day run for office under the GOP banner in his adopted home state of Virginia.
 
"I don't know and am nowhere near deciding [about a political bid]," Davis wrote in a blog on his website. "If I were to run, it would be as a Republican. And I am in the process of changing my voter registration from Alabama to Virginia, a development which likely does represent a closing of one chapter and perhaps the opening of another."
During his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Harvard-trained attorney never walked in lockstep with fellow Democrats. He voted against the Affordable Care Act and was the only CBC member to vote against the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009 and the Employee Non-Discrimination Act in 2007. He also was the only Black lawmaker willing to offer an honest and on-the-record assessment of Obama administration policies without fear of repercussion.
Davis, who has donated to several Republican candidates since leaving Congress in 2011 after a failed run for Alabama governor, had harsh words for the president in his blog post, arguing that Obama has adopted an agenda that "punishes businesses and job creators with more taxes" as they struggle to thrive.
"I have taken issue with an administration that has lapsed into a bloc by bloc appeal to group grievances when the country is already too fractured; frankly, the symbolism of Barack Obama winning has not given us the substance of a united country.
The former governor is reportedly considering a challenge to incumbent Democratic House Rep. Gerry Connolly, but acknowledges that such a move would be far from easy.
"I by no means underestimate the difficulty of putting together a campaign again, especially in a community to which I have no long-standing ties," he wrote, adding that he has a mountain of details to learn about the district in which he would run.

BET Politics - Your source for the latest news, photos and videos illuminating key issues and personalities in African-American political life, plus commentary from some of our liveliest voices. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

 (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)