Daughter takes over seat of longest serving Alabama state senator

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For nearly 40 years state Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma was a fixture of the Alabama Statehouse.

Sanders, 76, did not seek re-election last year after nine terms in office. When lawmakers convene next month, Senate District 23 will be represented by another member of the Sanders family. His daughter, Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier, won election to her father’s longtime Senate seat.

The long-serving Democrat said he has no regrets about leaving state politics, because he said he is leaving the district in good hands.

“Part of the reason I haven’t had a single afterthought is because I know Malika will not just do a good job, I know she’ll do a better job than I ever did. I am so proud of her. She has the intellect. She has the commitment,” Sanders said.

Sanders grew up in poverty as one of 13 children, and made his way to Harvard Law School. He was elected to the Alabama Senate in 1983.

Sanders-Fortier, 45, was just a child when her father was elected. As a teenager, she served as a page in the Alabama Legislature where her dad served in office.

“Since I had no plans to be in politics, it never crossed my mind that I would actually be here in an official capacity,” Sanders-Fortier said.

Like her parents, Sanders-Fortier is also an attorney.

Since winning election, she said she’s been touched that both Republicans and Democrats have reached out to convey respect for her father.

Sanders-Fortier said education, sentencing reform and urging Medicaid expansion will be among her top priorities. Alabama is one of 14 states that have not expanded its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

“We say we’re a country where if you do an honest day’s work, there should be some basic benefits that go along with that. Certainly, health care should be one of those benefits. I think ultimately that is something we should all be able to agree on,” Sanders-Fortier said.

She said she wants to urge more people to get involved in the political process, and plans to have what she calls deputy senators to share what is going on in their communities.