In November 1997, 17-year U.S. Congressman Tom Foglietta resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives after being named U.S. Ambassador to Italy by Bill Clinton. After a 1992 redistricting, the First District was becoming a majority Black district. Foglietta had defeated Black candidates in Democratic primaries in 1994 and 1996 and political observers assumed that his successor would be Black. In February 1998, Brady announced he would be running in the special election for Foglietta's vacated seat, despite not living within the district. When asked his position on NAFTA, Brady said "I don't know what that was about." When asked his position on abortion Brady said he had no position. On May 11, Brady left a debate between the congressional candidates early to attend a ward meeting.