Hank Sanders loses bid to reclaim long-held seat

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Former Alabama state Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, has failed in his bid to reclaim the seat he once held for decades in the Alabama Statehouse.

Sanders was a staple of Alabama state politics for years, holding the District 23 Senate seat from 1983 until his retirement in 2018. The district covers a portion of the rural Black Belt, from Selma to Evergreen.

Sanders aimed to come out of political retirement in 2022, but found himself in a Democratic primary runoff election against opponent Robert L. Stewart. Unofficial results in the race indicate Stewart will win with about 56% of the vote.

The loss was two-fold for Sanders’ family. He was seeking to replace his own daughter, one-term state Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier, D-Selma, who picked up the seat following her father’s retirement.

Sanders-Fortier set her sights on higher office in the latest election cycle, throwing her hat into the ring for the Democratic nod for governor. She also found herself in a primary runoff election Tuesday night, falling to opponent Yolanda Flowers by the same margin as her father.