Ed Sanders founded Nashville's Metropolitan Interdenominational Church and is currently the executive director of the church's health program, First Response Wellness Center. He also serves at the national level on the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Formerly an active member of the Republican Party, Sanders stepped outside the two-party system to run as a progressive candidate for governor of Tennessee, espousing issues such as tax reform, education and economic opportunity.

Describing his goals for Tennessee, he said, "My ideal vision for the state of Tennessee is for all people of the state of Tennessee to have hope. Hope for education, hope for economic opportunity, hope that they can have safe communities, hope that they can realize their full potential as human beings. ...You can't do it for people, you can't give it to them, but you can create an environment in which they can achieve it on their own. And that's what we're trying to do."