Openly bisexual U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced she is running for U.S. Senate — and will likely take on anti-LGBTQ incumbent Sen. Jeff Flake. Kyrsten has the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), critical to fundraising efforts, and current polls show her up 8 points against Flake. A win for Kyrsten would double LGBTQ representation in the U.S. Senate, joining Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the only openly LGBTQ senator in U.S. history.
The race is already one of the most closely watched of 2018. Sen. Flake will likely face at least one tough primary challenger, and is by no means guaranteed the GOP nomination. Kelli Ward, a former state senator who has received support from Donald Trump, aims to unseat Flake with charges that he is not conservative enough. While Flake continuously votes against LGBTQ rights in Congress, Ward is vehemently anti-LGBTQ and extremely outspoken on the issue. Ward voted for Arizona’s anti-LGBTQ religious exemption law, opposes marriage equality, and works with people like Alex Jones, who claims the mass murder at Pulse nightclub was the LGBTQ community’s fault.
Regardless of the primary challenger, Kyrsten is a strong candidate who will fight for LGBTQ equality once in the Senate. You can watch her powerful announcement video online.
