Hilliard says his Mideast stance may have cost House seat

'I lost the election. It ain't the end of life.'

Rep. Earl Hilliard, right, lost Alabama's Tuesday congressional primary runoff to Artur Davis.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alabama Rep. Earl Hilliard said he will reluctantly back his Democratic runoff opponent, Artur Davis, despite a bitter primary in which the Middle East conflict became a central issue.

Hilliard said Davis, a Harvard-educated lawyer, used out-of-state money from New York to score a lopsided victory in Tuesday's congressional primary.

Hilliard was targeted for often siding with the Palestinians. More than half the $306,482 in individual donations that Davis received came from New York. Hilliard said much of that money came from Jewish contributors upset about his support for Palestinians.

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Hilliard said he may stay in politics and hasn't ruled out a run for mayor of Birmingham despite his failed re-election effort.

"I lost the election," Hilliard, a five-term incumbent, said outside the House chamber. "It ain't the end of life. I lost it or they took it -- or they stole it -- one or another. When the bar was down, I just didn't get enough votes."

He dismissed any speculation that he might seek revenge by supporting Libertarian Lauren Orth McCay -- Davis' only general election foe.

Hilliard said Jewish groups may use his defeat as a rallying cry to target other black candidates who support establishment of a Palestinian state.

Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who faces an August 20 challenge from fellow black Democrat Denise Majette, will "have a tough race," Hilliard predicted. He said such efforts would cause more hard feelings between blacks and Jews.

Hilliard said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)

helped him too little and too late. DCCC officials declined comment Thursday night.