Eddison Walters, a businessman here, has joined the field of candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Artur Davis in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.

Walters announced his candidacy for the seat in next year’s Democratic primary on Monday.

The candidate is a broker for the mortgage company Nations Funding. He is minority vice chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Democratic Party, vice chairman of the Tuscaloosa/West Alabama Citizens Coalition and chairman of the Carver Middle School Business Advisory Council.

The 42-year-old is a native of Trinidad/Tobago and moved to the United States when he was 4 years old.

He ran unsuccessfully for the District 7 seat in 2006.

Walters sees himself as a champion of small business, saying, “Small businesses create more than 70 percent of the jobs in our district. The Bush tax cuts did not help most small business at all. Employment taxes are killing small businesses and jobs along with them. We must do more to help businesses create jobs in our district. Also, we cannot continue to ship our jobs to China. Free trade is not free. It costs jobs in our community, and we must address this issue.”

He is calling for tax cuts and heavier use of domestic coal, oil and natural gas to stimulate the economy.

Other Democrats in the race include state Rep. Earl Hilliard Jr. of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Smoot, Birmingham attorney Terri Sewell, former Selma Mayor James Perkins and Birmingham attorney Martha Bozeman. No Republicans have announced in the heavily Democratic district.

Davis will not seek re-election because he is running for governor.