U.S. House, Alabama 7th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Alabama's 7th Congressional District?
Terri Sewell has the strongest record in Alabama's 7th Congressional District. Terri Sewell scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Terri Sewell's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Ammie Akin (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Ammie Akin
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Terri Sewell
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 63
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Ammie Akin
- Credit2024 to 2026
With her husband, bought the former Vestavia Hills Elementary Central campus in 2024 to convert it into Hub in the Hills, a shared center for nonprofits, set to open in spring 2026.
Source: Vestavia Voice, Jan. 5, 2026
Terri Sewell
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2026-02-03
A Medicare multi-cancer screening coverage bill named for her mother, which her office says she co-led with Rep. Jodey Arrington (the listed sponsor), was enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 842 (119th Congress), Office press release, Jan. 22, 2026
- Credit2025 to 2026
Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act, the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 23, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 53, 2026
- Credit2020-12-18
Received the American Whig-Cliosophic Society's James Madison Award, its highest honor, in December 2020, the first African American woman to receive it.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Ammie Akin. A House candidate financial disclosure was filed June 30, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081152, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Terri Sewell. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 13, 2026 after an extension; her 2025 and 2026 periodic transaction reports were filed within 45 days of the trades. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine against her committee found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081495, House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20030235
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act (January 2025), the HALT Fentanyl Act (June 2025) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 when Democratic Leader Jeffries and Caucus Chair Aguilar voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 23, 2025, Laken Riley Act, House Clerk Roll Call 166, 2025, HALT Fentanyl Act, House Clerk Roll Call 53, 2026, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Held an open town hall at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium on May 4, 2026, and a July 30, 2026 community conversation in Hope Hull taking audience questions. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: WBRC, May 4, 2026, BirminghamWatch, May 5, 2026, Lowndes Signal, July 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Has served in the House since January 2011. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter naming her as respondent found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Has held sworn House office since 2011. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to state electoral votes. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Ammie Akin. Educator for more than 20 years who served as an assistant superintendent in a public school system and interim superintendent of a private Christian school, and co-founded a nonprofit campus. Has not held public office.
Sources: WBMA (AP), Aug. 11, 2026, Vestavia Voice, Jan. 5, 2026
Terri Sewell. In the U.S. House since January 2011 and seeking a ninth term.
Sources: GovTrack, Terri Sewell, Alabama Daily News, Feb. 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Ammie Akin. Publishes an issues page on affordability, education, rural health care and public safety, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Issues
Terri Sewell. Ranking member of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Ammie Akin. Publishes a plain-language issues page. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Ballotpedia, Ammie Akin
Terri Sewell. Offers an e-newsletter and telephone town halls, publishes issue pages and holds in-person town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, WBRC, May 4, 2026, Ballotpedia, Terri Sewell
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Ammie Akin. Described as a Birmingham Republican; Birmingham is partly in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 96 percent of itemized individual contributions from Alabama.
Sources: Perry County Herald, Aug. 23, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Terri Sewell. Raised in Selma, which is in the district, and based in Birmingham. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 28 percent of itemized individual contributions from Alabama.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Perry County Herald, Aug. 23, 2026, Alabama Daily News, Feb. 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Ammie Akin. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Terri Sewell. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine naming her committee as respondent found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fine AF 4202 (respondent Hastings for Congress)
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.220 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.547, below expectations. Primary sponsor of seven enacted bills, the most recent substantive one in 2019.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Missed 365 of 9,214 roll call votes, 4.0 percent, from January 2011 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Keeps district offices in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa, offers help with federal agencies, and holds in-person town halls and community conversations.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.15359 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 99 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Ammie Akin. No public record found.
Terri Sewell. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Alabama's 7th Congressional District?
Terri Sewell has the strongest record in Alabama's 7th Congressional District. Terri Sewell scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Terri Sewell's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Ammie Akin (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Alabama's 7th Congressional District in 2026?
Ammie Akin (Republican), Terri Sewell (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Ammie Akin a good candidate for Congress?
Ammie Akin has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Terri Sewell a good candidate for Congress?
Terri Sewell scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Alabama race scored, and the Alabama 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.