The Birmingham Times
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) could have rested on her laurels. But the seven-term incumbent congresswoman ran as hard for her eighth term as she had in her previous races and got the desired results.
On Tuesday, in the March 5 primary, Sewell received 46,398 votes, or 92.22 percent, to capture the Democratic nomination against challenger Chris Davis of Birmingham, who received 3,915 votes or 7.78 percent.
“While we celebrate our victory tonight, we know that our fight is not over. There is too much at stake for us to be on the sidelines. We have to keep working to lower costs and grow our economy. We have to keep working to make healthcare more affordable. We have to keep working to make our communities safer,” Sewell said. “And we have to protect our democracy and our sacred right to vote from those who seek to take us back.”
Her job has always been “to focus in and work hard and uphold the promises that I’ve made to Alabama’s 7th Congressional District,” Sewell said.
The congresswoman said her mission is clear. She’s not working to improve her lot in life. Instead, she said, her aim is improving the lot of the people she is honored to represent.
“Congress hasn’t had a raise in 18 years,” Sewell told BirminghamWatch website. “I think it’s important to know I’m not doing this for self. I think I could clearly make a lot more money as a lawyer, and definitely as a partner in these big firms I was a part of. This keeps me very much focused, laser focused on the people back home.”
In another closely watched race on Tuesday, former U.S. Justice Department official Shomari Figures of Mobile and Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels of Huntsville have advanced to a runoff in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district, a race where Democrats are given a strong chance to flip a Republican seat.
The Associated Press declared that Figures, who received 43.45 percent of the vote, and Daniels, 22.36 percent, had made the runoff shortly after 10 p.m. Figures was leading the 11-candidate field, while Daniels was running second.
The runoff between the top two finishers will be April 16. The winner will face the Republican nominee in the general election in November.
Sen. Merika Coleman of Jefferson County finished fourth and Rep. Juandalynn Givan of Birmingham, finished eighth.
Figures worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and in the White House and served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland in the Justice Department. He is the son of longtime state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile and Michael Figures, who served 18 years as a state senator until his death in 1996.
Daniels lives outside the 2nd District in Huntsville but grew up in Bullock County, which is in the district and said he maintains close family ties there. Daniels was elected to the Legislature in 2014 and has served as House minority leader since 2017.
In October, a federal court approved a map redrawing the district. Black residents now make up 49 percent of the voting age population, changing it from a safe Republican district to one where a Democrat could win, potentially becoming the second Democrat and second Black member in Alabama’s seven-member Congressional delegation.
How Alabama’s 2nd congressional district plays a role in determining control of the U.S. House
AL.com contributed to this post
