Rodney Sadler

Party:

Democrat

Incumbent:

Age:

Previous experience in elected office:

None

Occupation:

Associate Professor of Bible and Director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary

Description:

Sadler’s top issues focus on strong public schools and affordable housing. On his campaign website, he states that “we all deserve wages we can live on” and argues that “our government [must] work for people, instead of for profit,” calling for a living wage and repeal of laws that weaken collective bargaining. Sadler is endorsed by Gov. Josh Stein, the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and The Charlotte Observer.

Other personal:

Sadler is from Charlotte. He is a published author and editor, with work in the intersection of race, religion, and social justice and has served in various pastoral and academic roles in Charlotte. He earned a bachelor's from Howard University in 1989, a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology from Duke University in 2001.

Candidate Website

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please provide demographic information about yourself to help voters (age, education, current occupation, where you live).

My name is Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler. I’m a father, a Bible scholar, a Baptist minister, and your candidate to represent northeastern Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in the NC State House.

Current Occupation: Associate Professor of Bible, Director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary

Age: 58

Where I Live: Highland Creek

Education:

Howard University (1989, B.S. Psychology/Philosophy)

Howard University School of Divinity (1992, M.Div.)

Duke University (2001, Ph.D. Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology)

Studied at Hebrew University (1990)

Why are you running for this role and why should voters pick you? Please share your previous experience in elected office that would be relevant to voters.

I’m running for North Carolina State House to put the people first.

Right now, working people in Mecklenburg County can’t afford to live. The basic things -- paying the electric bill, going to the doctor, buying eggs at the grocery store, keeping a roof over your head — get more expensive every day, while wages stay rock-bottom and jobs get harder and harder to find.

We know that things can be different. We all deserve wages we can live on. We all deserve a home we can afford. We all deserve quality healthcare as a basic human right. Our kids deserve strong, gun-free public schools and safe streets.

In the wealthiest nation in history, this is not beyond reach. But it will only be possible when our government works for people, instead of for profit. I believe that we should be fighting to end poverty, not fighting the poor.

I am not a politician. I have never run for or held a political office before, and my main political involvement has been in movements of working people. The first time I stepped foot in the NC General Assembly, it was not to seek election but to take arrest, in civil disobedience against Republican extremism, for public education and affordable healthcare.

Tell us 1-2 professional accomplishments you have achieved in your work experience (not limited to public service) that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

I have spent 20 years of my life fighting for Mecklenburg working families – from the Poor People’s Campaign, to interfaith work with MeckMIN, to the Faith in Housing Initiative, to the Reimagining America Project. What sets our campaign apart is our grounding and commitment to this movement of working people – Black, Brown, Asian, and white; Christian, Muslim, and Jewish; young and old; immigrant and native-born. When we win, it will be not me, but us, entering the General Assembly building together.

What endorsements from any notable North Carolina organizations or people have you received?

Josh Stein, Governor of North Carolina

Caleb Theodros, NC Senator District 41

Jennifer Roberts, Former Mayor of Charlotte

Honorable Al Austin, Former Charlotte City Councilor, District 2

Julia Greenfield, NC State Representative District 100

Christy Clark, Mayor of Huntersville

Black Political Caucus

UNITE HERE Local 23

SEIU 32BJ and Workers United

Carolina Federation

Sierra Club

Sunrise Movement

Climate Cabinet

Carolina Forward

Charlotte Muslim Caucus

NCDP Arab Caucus

NCAAT in Action

Advance Carolina

Rev. Dr. Peter Wherry, Lead Pastor, The Field Charlotte, Professor, D.Min. Program Director, Howard University

Rev. Glencie Rhedrick, Co-Chair Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice

Rev. Paulette Higgins, Local Organizer and Faith Leader

Dr. Hadia Mubarak, Resident Scholar, Pillars Mosque

Cornelius Atkinson, The Heights Ministries

Rev. Dr. Ricky Woods, Senior Minister of First Baptist Church West

Dr. Terence Leathers, Pastor, Mt. Vernon Christian Church

Rabbi Tracy Klirs, Retired Rabbi (worked at Temple Israel, CLT and Temple Kol Tikvah, Davidson)

See more at: https://rodneysadler.com/endorsements

How long have you lived in the region/district where you are running for office?

23 years

Tell us something unexpected about yourself that voters may be interested to know.

My upbringing, my faith, and my work as a Hebrew Bible scholar root my core values: Love God, Love Your Neighbor, Love the Stranger.

Book author, including:

"Race in Scripture: Analyzing through a Sociological Lens."

"Can a Cushite Change His Skin": An Examination of Race, Ethnicity, and Othering in the Hebrew Bible.

Co-author: "Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved."