Alabama head coach Nick Saban flexes political muscle in native state

Alabama head coach Nick Saban stepped outside of his role in college football this week to call on West Virginia senator Joe Manchin. Saban, along with several other prominent athletics figures from the state, signed a letter endorsing the passage of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

Nick Saban and his wife, Terry, are natives of the Mountain State. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and the rest of his colleagues are debating the new voting rights bill on Tuesday.

Manchin and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema are currently the holdouts in the Democratic Party. Both have expressed, in no uncertain terms, that they do not support undermining the filibuster to get around Republican opposition to the bill.

University of Alabama head coach (and West Virginia native) Nick Saban is among signatories on a letter to Joe Manchin urging passage of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. https://t.co/xGdmtrvg52 pic.twitter.com/kfXCG9XTur

— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) January 18, 2022

Nick Saban and Joe Manchin have a relationship that dates back to the 1950s. The two grew up just four miles apart in Monongah, West Virginia.

The other signees on the letter were Oliver Luck, Jerry West, Paul Tagliabue and Darryl Talley.

Saban calls on Senate passage of Voting Rights bill

The letter sent from the native West Virginians reads:

“We strongly support urgently needed legislation that will protect both the rights of voters and the integrity of outcomes in all Federal elections. The Freedom to Vote Act, which you sponsored with Committee Chair Senator Klobuchar and other colleagues, effectively addressed these goals.

“We come from some of our Nation’s most popular sports leagues, conferences and teams. Some of us have roots and shaped our lives in West Virginia, others followed very different paths and some of us have been rivals in sports or business. But we are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field; the referees are neutral; and at the end of the game the final score is respected and accepted.

The cosigned parties pointed to state legislators across the country imposing new voting restrictions since the 2020 election. Additionally, they say they’ll continue to call on more supporters to join their efforts.

“These principles are now under intentional and unprecedented challenge. In the last year, some 20 states have enacted dozens of laws that restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with Federal election outcomes. Motivated by the unanticipated outcomes of recent close elections conducted with integrity, these state laws seek to secure partisan advantage by eliminating reliable practices with proven safeguards and substituting practices ripe for manipulation.

“To complement your efforts to have the Senate enact balanced and widely supported legislation, we will encourage others in sports, business and other endeavors to join with us in endorsing the concepts set forth in this letter. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this manner.”