Erdreich, Benjamin Leader, 1938-

Benjamin Leader Erdreich (born December 9, 1938) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he notably served as a U.S. Representative from Alabama's 6th congressional district from 1983 to 1993.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he graduated from Shades Valley High School in suburban Ironside before earning a B.A. degree from Yale University and a J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, passing the Alabama bar in 1963. After law school, he served two years in the United States Army before setting up a private law practice. Between 1970 and 1974, Erdreich served one term as a Democrat in the Alabama House of Representatives. In 1972, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Alabama's 6th congressional district seat. In 1974, Erdreich was elected as a Jefferson County Commissioner, serving from 1975 until 1983. In 1982, Erdreich was elected to Congress from the 6th District, based in Birmingham, defeating one-term Republican incumbent Albert Smith, Jr. To date, this is the last time a Democratic challenger defeated a Republican congressman in Alabama.

Erdreich was the first Democrat to represent the 6th since 1965. Erdreich was re-elected four times, rarely facing serious opposition, and became known for his bipartisan work in Congress, co-sponsoring several hundred bills during his five terms. In 1992, Erdreich's district was significantly redrawn as a result of a United States Department of Justice directive to create a majority-black district in the Birmingham area in order to overcome problems of voter dilution; a federal court drew a map that shifted most of Birmingham's black residents to the 7th District and the 6th was redrawn to taken in several whiter and wealthier areas of Shelby and Tuscaloosa counties. Though Erdreich outspent his opponent, state Republican Party chairman Spencer Bachus, almost 2 to 1, he could not overcome the more conservative hue of his new district and lost by seven percentage points.

Following his time in Congress, President Bill Clinton appointed Erdreich Chair of the United States Merit Systems Protection Board and he served in that role from 1993 to 2000. He is currently involved with property development in Birmingham, concentrating on central-city projects.