{{Short description|American politician (1935–2026)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Howard Sanderford 2022 (51909898076) (cropped).jpg | caption = Sanderford in 2022 | image_size = | name = Howard Sanderford | state_house = Alabama | state = Alabama | district = 20th | term_start = January 10, 1989 | term_end=November 9, 2022 | preceded = Steve Hettinger | succeeded = James Lomax | party = Republican | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|10|18}} | birth_place = Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|1|7|1935|10|18}} | death_place = | spouse = Dot Sanderford | children = | alma_mater = Mississippi State University | occupation = | profession = Businessman | website = [http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/representatives/housebios/hd020.html Representative Howard Sanderford] }}
'''James Howard Sanderford'''<ref>[https://fcpa.alabamavotes.gov/PublicSite/Reporting/IFrameImagePopUp.aspx?DocumentID=155470 Confirmation of Committee Registration Filing]</ref> (October 18, 1935 – January 7, 2026) was an American politician who was a member of the Alabama State House of Representatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/5706/howard-sanderford|title = The Voter's Self Defense System}}</ref> Sanderford, a Republican, represented the 20th district from 1989 to 2022. The district composes most of southeast Huntsville.
==Background== Sanderford received his B.S. Degree in Accounting from Mississippi State University where he was active with student government. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Howard Sanderford became an executive with IBM and is now President of Computer Leasing Company, Inc. He and his wife Dot are active in their church, First Baptist Church of Huntsville.
He served as President of the Huntsville Rotary Club, Chairman of the Madison County Republican Executive Committee, co-chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Free Enterprise Committee, Vice President of the Metropolitan YMCA Board, and was a member of the Alabama Commission on Aerospace Sciences and the Alabama Management Improvement Program.
Sanderford was later a board member of the Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Volunteers of America of North Alabama, YMCA, Alabama Men's Hall of Fame, and Alabama Board of Medical Scholarship Awards.
Sanderford died on January 7, 2026, at the age of 90.<ref>[https://www.waff.com/2026/01/08/former-state-rep-howard-sanderford-dies-90/ Former State Rep. Howard Sanderford dies at 90]</ref>
==2010 election== Sanderford received primary opposition by two political newcomers in his bid for a seventh term in the Alabama legislature – David Pinkleton, a 23-year-old University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) student and former Republican Women of Huntsville President Frances Taylor. Both Pinkleton and Taylor focused their campaigns on individual property rights in response to the Huntsville Housing Authority's move into south Huntsville.<ref>[https://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/05/rep_howard_sanderford_challeng.html Rep. Howard Sanderford challenged by two political newcomers in House District 20 Republican primary]</ref> Sanderford won the June 1 primary with 57% or 5724 votes and avoided a runoff.<ref>[https://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/06/howard_sanderford_wins_seventh.html Howard Sanderford wins seventh House term]</ref>
==Committee assignments== Sanderford served on the Boards, Agencies & Commissions Committee (chair), Judiciary Committee (Vice-chair), Madison County Legislation, Sunset Committee (Co-chair), Joint Legislative State Parks Committee, and Joint Legislative Medal of Honor Committee (chair). He also served on the Southern Legislative Committee (executive committee) and the Energy Council.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * https://web.archive.org/web/20100316213034/http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/representatives/housebios/hd020.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderford, Howard}} Category:1935 births Category:2026 deaths Category:American businesspeople Category:Baptists from Mississippi Category:IBM employees Category:Republican Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives Category:Mississippi State University alumni Category:Politicians from Huntsville, Alabama Category:Politicians from Meridian, Mississippi Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:Baptists from Alabama Category:YMCA leaders Category:21st-century members of the Alabama Legislature