Terri Sewell earned the Democratic nomination last night in Alabama's 7th District, securing 55% of the vote. If she wins the general election in November, she will become Alabama's first female and first African American female to be elected to Congress.
Sewell's campaign fought for her victory, raising over a million dollars through fundraising, as compared to her competitor's $136,000, reports Politics365. She now faces Republican nominee Don Chamberlain in the general election. Political analysts predict that the Selma native's run-off victory means she has a strong chance of winning the general election in her mostly Democratic, African-American district.
"When I get to Washington we all get to Washington," Sewell told supporters during a post-election celebration.
Sewell is a graduate of Princeton University, Harvard Law School, and Oxford. After law school, Sewell returned to Alabama, where she became one of the few African American finance lawyers in the state, according to her campaign website.
Of having more women in office, Sewell has said "I know that when women are at the table, issues of families and children really get decided and discussed. Just watching the health care debate, and the fact that the Stupak amendment got defeated is a very good example of how having effective women legislators in Congress makes a difference."
Media Resources: Politic365 7/14/10; Congressional Quarterly 7/13/10; Sewell for Congress
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