Republican Robert Aderholt has been a member of the United States House of Representatives for well over 20 years. He holds a seat that was previously belonged to Democrat Tom Bevill, who was a member of Congress for 30 years.
Members of Congress, long-time members and new ones alike, have been hit hard by COVID-19. Coincidence or not, recent days have featured a streak of COVID-19 diagnoses among Southern representatives. Including Alabama's Robert Aderholt.
Tests positive for COVID-19
Robert Aderholt has contracted the novel Coronavirus, he announced.
As noted by The Hill, there's been a surge in cases among members of Congress lately. Aderholt had not appeared on the House floor in several days.
The congressman had been in and out of self-isolation for roughly the last two weeks. AL.com indicates the most recent time was after his wife, Caroline, tested positive for COVID-19.
Caroline has reportedly since recovered from the virus. Before returning to the Capitol, her husband remained in self-isolation and underwent further testing, ultimately resulting in his testing positive.
Aderholt represents the 4th Congressional District of Alabama
Robert Aderholt was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. The election was an open one after long-time incumbent Tom Bevill decided to retire.
Aderholt's first general election victory was a narrow one. His second was over Donald H. Bevill, Tom's son, and the gap was significantly larger. In 11 re-election victories since then, Aderholt has won by at least 23 percentage points.
Aderholt had previously been a municipal judge in Haleyville in northern Alabama. He would later become the top aide on the staff of Governor Fob James.
His father, Bobby, was a Congregational minister and a circuit judge.
Aderholt's father-in-law, Albert McDonald, was a high-profile Democratic politician in Alabama. McDonald was a member of the Alabama State Senate before being elected the Alabama commissioner of agriculture and industries.
Robert Aderholt is currently the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
The Subcommittee falls under the larger House Committee on Appropriations. Of which he's also a member.
He's also a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, sometimes referred to as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. In 2017, Aderholt was given high-profile honors from two European nations. One was the Order of the Star of Romania. The other was the United Kingdom's Order of Saint John.
Before going into politics, Aderholt attended the University of North Alabama. He would graduate from Birmingham-Southern College and from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law.
