Sabel seeks nomination

By Tiffiny Woo
Published: April 25, 2008

Cheryl Sabel is pursuing Alabama’s Second Congressional District seat, a seat currently held by Rep. Terry Everett, who is not seeking re-election.

A resident of Montgomery, Sabel grew up in Birmingham but has lived in District 2 for the past 25 years.

She describes herself as a “Yellow Dog Democrat” who speaks out for equality and social justice.

“I am running my campaign the way I live my life,” she said. “I believe Alabamians are descent, hardworking people,” she said. “(Legislators) owe it to these people to be available and hear their concerns.”

Coming from a large, working-class family, Sabel says she is “living proof” that social programs provide results.

“At one time, my children qualified for reduced price lunches at school,” she said. “I come from the working class and was the first one in my family to go to college.”

It was through the help of federal and state grants that Sabel was able to attain her paralegal certification from Huntingdon College. She spent the next six years working as a legal secretary and paralegal for a civil rights attorney before serving as executive assistant to Judge Sharon G. Yeats, the first woman elected to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, for 12 years.

“I’ve seen so many people abused and mistreated by the system,” said Sabel. “I’ve seen children used as pawns in custody cases, hardworking employees not receive workers compensation when they got hurt and much worse,” she said.

Sabel says she has dedicated herself to the idea that “we’re all in this together” and believes the greatest commandment is still “love one another.” As a result, she works to eliminate social, racial and gender inequalities.

“I’ve never understood this kind of hate in the world,” she said. “Fear and lies have created a fractured society, but we’re all in this together and I believe it’s through community values-helping each other-that we can improve.”

Sabel is currently the State President of the Alabama Chapter of the National Organization for Women or AL NOW. Before that she served as the president for the Montgomery chapter of AL NOW.

She says she has traveled the state recruiting for the organization and speaking on behalf of women’s equality. Her efforts to fight social injustice include speaking out against bad legislation.

On the issues, Sabel would like to see an increase in veteran benefits, minimum wage and Social Security. She is in favor of establishing universal healthcare and is pro-union. Sabel says she realizes the importance of helping Alabama farmers and believes they are “critical to our survival.”

Sabel also supports bringing American troops home from Iraq as soon as possible, while still addressing humanitarian concerns that would be left behind. She says she is the only candidate in Alabama who has signed the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.

She says she is different from many other Democratic candidates for the District 2 seat in that she doesn’t claim to be a “social conservative.”

“In my opinion, that’s code for ‘more of the same,’” she said.

One issue she feels strongly about that Barbour County residents have been presented with this week is the need to reform the Alabama Constitution.

“It contains detrimental slang and racist language,” she said. “Everything has to be done via an amendment.”

About her intentions should she win the District 2 seat, Sabel said, “I can promise that my vote will be an informed vote that stands on the side of justice and is in the best interest of our state…I will stand up for my convictions.”

Sabel is married to civil rights attorney Wayne Sabel. Between the two, they have four children and three grandchildren.