A Representative from Tennessee; born in Memphis, Shelby County, Tenn., May 24, 1949; B.A., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., 1971; J.D., Memphis State University, 1973; lawyer, private practice; vice-president, Tennessee state constitutional convention, 1977; Shelby County, Tenn., commissioner, 1978-1980; member of the Tennessee state senate, 1982-2006; unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1994; unsuccessful candidate for election to the 105th Congress in 1996; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Tenth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2007-present).