Kyrsten Sinema

American politician (born 1976)

Kyrsten Lea Sinema (/ˈkɪərstən ˈsɪnəmə/; born July 12, 1976) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona since January 3, 2019. She was the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 9th congressional district. She was first elected in 2012.

Kyrsten Sinema
United States Senator
from Arizona
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Serving with Mark Kelly
Preceded byJeff Flake
Succeeded byRuben Gallego (elect)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arizona's 9th district
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byGreg Stanton
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 15th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 3, 2012
Preceded byKen Cheuvront
Succeeded byDavid Lujan
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 15th district
In office
January 10, 2005 – January 10, 2011
Preceded byWally Straughn
Ken Clark
Succeeded byLela Alston
Katie Hobbs
Personal details
Born
Kyrsten Lea Sinema

(1976-07-12) July 12, 1976 (age 48)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyIndependent (2022–present)
Democratic (2004–2022)
EducationBrigham Young University (BA)
Arizona State University (MSW, JD, PhD)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website

Sinema is an independent. She served in both chambers of the State Legislature, being elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004 and the Arizona Senate in 2010.

Sinema has worked for the adoption of the DREAM Act, pro-immigration reforms and supports same-sex marriage. She was the first openly bisexual person elected to the U.S. Congress.[1]

Sinema ran in the United States Senate election in Arizona in 2018 to replace Senator Jeff Flake, who retired from the seat.[2] She won the Democratic nomination in August 2018 and defeated Republican Martha McSally.

Sinema is the first female senator elected in Arizona and the second openly LGBT person ever to serve in the Senate, after Tammy Baldwin.[3]

On December 9, 2022, Sinema left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent.[4]

References

change
  1. O'Dowd, Peter (January 1, 2013). "Sinema, First Openly Bisexual Member Of Congress, Represents 'Changing Arizona'". NPR. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  2. Pitzulo, Carrie (2017-09-11). "Democratic Rep. Sinema launches Arizona senate bid". Politico. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  3. Roig-Franzia, Manuel (January 2, 2013). "Kyrsten Sinema: A success story like nobody else's". The Washington Post. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  4. Cowan, Richard; Chiacu, Doina (2022-12-10). "Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democratic Party, adding drama to tight Senate margin". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-12-11.

Other websites

change

  Media related to Kyrsten Sinema at Wikimedia Commons