Congresswoman Terri Sewell Reflects on How Sen. Richard Shelby Helped Her

Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-7th District) is taking time to reflect on how U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) helped her get into politics. Shelby announced today that he would not seek re-election next year.

“Senator Richard Shelby has been an influential and powerful voice for Alabama in Washington D.C. for over 40 years, and I hold deep respect for him as a friend and faithful public servant,” Sewell said on Facebook.

“As a student at Princeton University, I had an opportunity to intern for then-Democratic Congressman Richard Shelby. It was that experience that led me to a career in public service as Representative of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, and for that I am tremendously grateful!”

Shelby, who is 86 years old, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 as a Democrat. He switched to the Republican Party in 1994. Before then, he was a state senator and a congressman.

Shelby is considered one of the most powerful political leaders on Capitol Hill. As an architect of the federal budget, he’s helped steer hundreds of millions of federal dollars to Alabama, especially to the military and defense.

Sewell was first elected in 2010. She is currently the only Democrat in Alabama’s congressional delegation.