Terri Sewell

Terri
Sewell

Terri Sewell

Summary (Optional)

Prefer audio? Listen to a short neutral overview. Then review full details and sources below.

Playback speed:

Quick Summary

She has represented Alabama's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2011.
She is the first Black woman elected to Congress from Alabama and a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
She is seeking re-election in 2026 against Republican nominee Ammie Akin.

This page uses public sources and stays neutral. You can check details in the links below.

Last updated: Sep 19, 2026

Party: Democratic

Overview

Terri Sewell grew up in Selma, where she was the first Black valedictorian of Selma High School. She went on to Princeton University, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School, then worked as a public finance and securities attorney, becoming the first Black woman partner at the Birmingham law firm Maynard, Cooper & Gale. In 2010, she was elected to represent Alabama's 7th Congressional District, which includes Selma, Birmingham, and much of Alabama's Black Belt, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Alabama. She now sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax and health-care policy, and is a Chief Deputy Whip in the House Democratic leadership. Supporters point to her work on voting-rights legislation and federal funding for rural infrastructure as signature achievements. Critics argue her positions reflect national Democratic priorities more than the more conservative leanings of most of the state.

What She Did

Short version: key actions and tradeoffs that may matter to your vote.

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Action:
Sewell is the author and lead sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which she has repeatedly introduced in the House, including ahead of the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in March 2025.

Why it matters:
The bill would restore parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were weakened by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder. That ruling ended a requirement that certain states and counties with a history of discrimination get federal approval, known as "preclearance," before changing voting laws or district lines. Restoring preclearance could change how much federal oversight applies to future voting rules in Alabama and other states. The bill has not become law.

Terri Sewell's position: She supports the bill and describes it as necessary to protect voting access after the Shelby County ruling.

Supporters say: Restoring federal preclearance would help prevent voting rules that make it harder for some communities to vote.

Critics say: Preclearance gives federal officials too much authority over decisions that states and counties should control.
View sponsor's announcement | View Shelby County v. Holder case summary
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law vote

Action:
Sewell voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) on November 5, 2021, when it passed the House 228-206.

Why it matters:
The law funds roads, bridges, water systems, and broadband internet expansion nationwide. Sewell's office has pointed to broadband and water-system funding reaching Black Belt counties in her district, including projects addressing decades-old water and sewer problems in some rural towns. Most Alabama members of Congress voted against the bill.

Terri Sewell's position: She supports the law and has highlighted broadband and water-infrastructure funding it brought to her district.

Supporters say: The funding addresses long-standing water, sewer, and internet-access problems in rural Alabama communities that private investment had not fixed.

Critics say: The law added to federal spending and debt, and some question whether the money is being used efficiently once it reaches the state and local level.
View House roll call vote | View infrastructure funding examples
Inflation Reduction Act vote

Action:
Sewell voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) on August 12, 2022, when it passed the House 220-207 with no Republican votes in favor.

Why it matters:
The law changed rules on prescription drug pricing, health-insurance subsidies, energy-project tax credits, and corporate taxes. Supporters said it could lower some prescription and health-insurance costs and support clean-energy jobs. Critics said it expanded federal spending and government involvement in drug pricing. In 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act rolled back some of the clean-energy tax credits created by this law.

Terri Sewell's position: She voted for the law and supported its health-care and clean-energy provisions.

Supporters say: The law helped lower some drug and health-insurance costs for families and supported clean-energy investment.

Critics say: The law increased federal spending and government control over drug pricing, and some of its energy provisions were later reversed.
View House roll call vote | View later rollback legislation
Medicaid expansion advocacy

Action:
Sewell has repeatedly called for Alabama to expand Medicaid, a joint federal-state health program, using federal funds made available under the Affordable Care Act.

Why it matters:
Alabama is one of a small number of states that has not expanded Medicaid. Expansion would extend coverage to more low-income adults, which supporters say could improve access to care and help keep rural hospitals open, particularly in the Black Belt counties Sewell represents, some of which have limited hospital access. The decision to expand Medicaid rests with the Alabama Legislature and Governor, not Congress, so Sewell's position is advocacy rather than a vote she controls.

Terri Sewell's position: She supports Medicaid expansion in Alabama and has cited rural hospital and health-care access as reasons for it.

Supporters say: Expansion would extend health coverage to more low-income residents and help rural hospitals stay open.

Critics say: Expansion adds an ongoing cost to state budgets and expands government-funded health coverage.
View stated priorities

Experience

U.S. Representative, Alabama's 7th Congressional District (2011-present) (source)
Ranking Member, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight (119th Congress) – first Black woman to hold that role since the committee was created in 1789 (source)
Ranking Member, House Administration Subcommittee on Elections; Chief Deputy Whip (source)
First Black woman partner, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. (Birmingham), public finance and securities law (source)
Attorney, Davis Polk & Wardwell (New York), early career (source)
J.D., Harvard Law School; graduate studies at Oxford University; B.A., Princeton University (source)

Things to Think About

How much weight should a member's committee assignments and leadership roles carry when you evaluate their effectiveness?
What role should the federal government play in funding roads, broadband, and water systems for rural Alabama communities?
How should Alabama weigh the costs and benefits of expanding Medicaid using federal funds?

Sources

Sources reviewed: Loading...
Source mix: Loading...