Bobby Neal Bright  was sworn into office on January 6, 2009.  He is the 13th of 14 children born to a Dale County sharecropper in the Wiregrass.  He is married to Judge (retired) Lynn Clardy Bright and they have  three children: Neal, Lisa and Katie.  Bobby and his wife reside in Montgomery and attend First Baptist Church where Bobby has served as a Deacon for 14 years.

Congressman Bright attended Enterprise State Junior College and later Auburn University where, in 1975, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. He then completed a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Troy University and a Juris Doctor degree at Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery. 

After graduating from college, Bobby worked as a teacher, financial advisor, corrections officer, law clerk, and later practiced law in Montgomery for 16 years.  Prior to joining the 111th Congress, Congressman Bright served nine years as the Mayor of the city of Montgomery.  He was first elected in 1999, and was  reelected in 2003 and 2007.

As the Mayor of Montgomery, Bobby met the challenges facing the city of Montgomery with enormous success.  Under his leadership, Alabama's capitol city experienced unprecedented job growth.  Bobby helped attract over 15,000 new high paying jobs to the area, including a new Hyundai car plant.  He initiated a downtown and riverfront revitalization project which re-invented Montgomery's tourism industry, bringing attractions such as the Renaissance Hotel and Spa and The Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball team. 

Bobby showed tremendous fiscal discipline as mayor even as Montgomery continued to invest in its future.  He balanced the budget every year and created a $30 million rainy day fund for the city's coffers.  He was also able to maintain the city's "AA" bond rating, which was one of the best in the state.

When a BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) Commission measure at Maxwell Air Force Base would have adversely affected 3,200 high-paying jobs, Bobby was able to pull together a leadership team which successfully prevented its implementation. He also served as director of various boards including The Alabama Baptist Board and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bobby has been named to the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives, which is critically important for the 2nd District which contains Maxwell Air Force Base and Fort Rucker.  He also serves on the Agriculture and Small Business Committees.  He is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative Democratic House members.