RALEIGH – Democratic state Representative Bill Faison garners attention in a courtroom because he’s been successful representing patients who believe they’ve been wronged by their doctors.

“I’m used to fighting for people,” Faison said in an interview. “I really get a kick out of doing that.”

During his first six years in the House, however, the Orange County medical malpractice attorney failed to translate his professional success into a successful bid for statewide office. His talk about a bid for governor in 2008 fizzled early. He withdrew from the House speaker’s race five years ago and lost a close race for state Democratic Party chairman last year.

In the past few months, however, Faison’s focus on the state’s beleaguered economy while talking up a job-creation plan has gained him political attention. He hasn’t dismissed the idea that he’ll run for something bigger again soon, even perhaps this year for the job held by fellow Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue.

While Faison, 64, has said he won’t run for governor if Perdue runs, he keeps predicting she ultimately won’t file for re-election, citing her fundraising and an investigation surrounding previously undisclosed flights by her 2008 campaign committee. His announcement earlier this month that he’s making a personal loan of $500,000 to his campaign only fuels rumors on his plans.

Barring a delay due to redistricting lawsuits, candidate filing begins in four weeks.

“Nothing is ruled out,” Faison said.

Faison’s recent political activities have flustered some Democratic Party activists, though it has been welcomed by others who want more active challenges to Republican legislative policies.

“I think he’s voicing a level of frustration out in the party that the Democrats aren’t pushing back hard enough, that there really hasn’t been a cohesive effort by the loyal opposition,” said Brad Crone, a Democratic consultant who worked on Faison’s previous legislative campaigns but doesn’t now.

Perdue declined to comment about Faison following a public appearance late last week. She and her campaign have made clear she’s running again. A campaign spokesman said several weeks ago that Faison won’t be the nominee and suggested his gubernatorial talk was about satisfying his own ego. A prosecutor also has repeatedly said Perdue isn’t the focus of the flight investigation.

State party chairman David Parker, who beat Faison for the post, said he takes Faison at his word that he won’t run if Perdue does. Otherwise, he’s fine about Faison talking about a jobs plan that Parker said is essentially the same as what Perdue offered in her budget proposal last year.

“He’s not saying anything new, but I’m delighted that he’s out there beating that drum,” Parker said, adding he’s supporting Perdue’s re-election: “I have full faith and confidence in this governor.”

Faison’s jobs proposal would restore public school and Medicaid-related private-sector jobs he said were eliminated by the Republican-penned budget approved this year by bringing back most of the penny sales tax that expired in July.

He’s criticized Republicans now in charge of the Legislature for failing to take up the similar plan, which GOP leaders say is a tax increase they won’t touch. While Perdue’s budget kept on most of the penny tax, too, Faison argues the governor’s office also hasn’t provided an alternative once government jobs started getting eliminated.

Faison, who has extended his plan to other topics, has debated Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis on a Charlotte television station and is running a commercial during a statewide public affairs show. He’s made more than 25 presentations to local and state Democratic groups and other gatherings since September. Last week, he met Democrats from Cabarrus County, where county party chairwoman Grace Liem is a supporter.

Faison “has a strong sense of justice and equality and consistently fights for what is right,” Liem said. Faison said 70 percent of the House Democratic Caucus supports his jobs plan, but some members have backed off, worried about what his endgame might be and party division in a big election year.

“I never have understood exactly that Bill is trying to do with his plan,” said Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgecombe, adding that while he’s listed by Faison among members supporting the plan, he’s never studied its details. While Faison may have gubernatorial ambitions, Tolson said, “I just hope it’s not (this) cycle.”

Faison, who says no one has called him to tell him to stop what he’s doing, said his aim is to keep the Executive Mansion in Democratic hands and for his party to retake the House. Without his own gubernatorial run, he could try to win over enough House Democrats to make him their leader in 2013. Proceeds from his $500,000 campaign loan could be distributed to help Democratic legislative candidates.

Faison isn’t afraid to stand alone, or of confrontation. Faison was the only House Democrat to vote against the chamber’s 2005 state budget proposal because he said it raised the cigarette tax. He didn’t shy away from a racially charged debate last year that pitted him against many black lawmakers who opposed a bill requiring police to take DNA samples from people when they are arrested on serious charges.

“He doesn’t mind getting up in your face and telling you what he thinks,” Crone said. “And if that rubs people the wrong way his approach is, well, they’ll just have to get over it.”