Alabama Democrats have picked a history professor at Birmingham-Southern College to run as the party's candidate in the 6th Congressional District.
Mark Lester will face Republican Gary Palmer in the Nov. 4 general election. The Republican-leaning district is currently represented by retiring U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus.
The party's executive committee named Lester to replace Avery Vise, who dropped out of the race earlier this month.
A native of Arkansas, Lester holds a doctorate in modern British economic history from the University of Oxford and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He has taught at Birmingham-Southern since 1991.
He has also served as an assistant U.S. attorney and an adjunct law professor at the University of Alabama.
The executive committee on Saturday also re-elected Nancy Worley as party chair.
