MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Democrat Terri Sewell has become the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. House from Alabama.
Sewell won the 7th District seat Tuesday, defeating Republican businessman Don Chamberlain. Early, unofficial returns showed her pulling about three-fourths of the vote.
Sewell, who is from Selma and practices law in Birmingham, won easily in the heavily black and Democratic district, which stretches from downtown Birmingham into west and southwest Alabama. She said the district needs better jobs and health care.
She fills the seat left vacant by U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, who lost a bid to become Alabama’s first black governor.
Sewell was a friend of first lady Michelle Obama at Princeton University and knew President Obama at Harvard Law School.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.