Sen. Hank Sanders Decides Not to Seek Re-Election
Despite having already qualified to run for re-election, Sen. Hank Sanders (D-Selma) has decided not to seek another term in the Alabama Senate. He has held the District 23 seat since 1983. In a statement emailed to Alabama News Network, Sanders said, “Some time, it is time. Some time we do not realize it is time until something special happens. I had thought that I would run to serve one more term in the Alabama State Senate, and I qualified to run in January. However, when I took off 24 hours for our 48th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago, I began to realize what a heavy load I carry. I realized that when you cannot get 24 hours away except for your wedding anniversary, then it is time to reevaluate. I thought and prayed on it,” he said. He says yesterday, he came to the conclusion that he did not want to have to wait for another anniversary over a long period of years to get away for 24 hours. He said in his statement, “I asked my daughter Malika Sanders-Fortier if she would consider qualifying and running for the Senate District 23 seat. We discussed it, and she said yes. I felt great because Malika has my spirit. She is a lawyer, a mother, and is dedicated to lifting the community. I am convinced that she can carry on as well as I could, and I will not have to struggle to take 24 hours for another anniversary or other special occasion,” he said. Sanders says he will withdraw his candidacy for the Democratic Primary in the coming days, and will serve out the remainder of this term, which is approximately nine months. Sanders said, “I want to express my heartfelt thank you to the people for electing me to serve on so many occasions. It has been my honor to serve in the Alabama Senate, and I will continue to serve, even when I am not in elected office.” According to the Alabama Democratic and Republican Party websites, with Sen. Hank Sanders’ withdrawal from the race, his daughter would be the only candidate running for the seat. |
