Kyrsten Sinema

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Kyrsten Sinema
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 15th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 3, 2012
Preceded by Ken Cheuvront
Succeeded by David Lujan
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 15th district
In office
January 10, 2005 – January 10, 2011
Serving with David Lujan
Preceded by Wally Straughn, Ken Clark
Succeeded by Lela Alston, Katie Hobbs
Personal details
Born July 12, 1976 (1976-07-12) (age 35)
Tucson, Arizona
Political party Democratic
Residence Phoenix, Arizona
Alma mater Arizona State University
Profession Attorney
Religion Mormon (non-practicing)

Kyrsten Sinema (born July 12, 1976) is a Democratic politician from Phoenix, Arizona. A former member of both the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona State Senate, she is a candidate for Congress in 2012.

Contents

[edit] Early life, education, and early career

Born in Tucson, Arizona, to conservative Mormon parents, Sinema moved to Phoenix in 1995. After graduating from Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, at the age of 16, she attended Brigham Young University on a Benson Scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in social work in 1994.[1] She then attended Arizona State University where she earned a masters degree in social work in 1999 and then a Juris Doctor in 2004.[2] She was a social worker in the Washington Elementary School District before becoming a criminal defense lawyer.[1][3] In 2001, she ran for the Phoenix City Council District 8. In a nine candidate race, she ranked last with just 2% of the vote.[4]

[edit] Arizona legislature

[edit] Elections

Sinema first ran for the Arizona House of Representatives in 2002, as an independent. She ranked last, got only 8% of the vote, and lost the general election to Ken Clark and Wally Straughn.[5]

She ran again in 2004 but this time as a Democrat. In the Democratic primary, she ranked first with 37% of the vote. David Lujan won re-election with 34%, and Straughn lost with 29%.[6]

She won re-election in 2004 (30%)[7], 2006 (33%)[8], and 2008 (38%).[9]

In 2010, she retired in the State House and ran for a seat in the Arizona Senate. Sinema defeated Republican Bob Thomas 63%-37%.[10]

[edit] Tenure

In 2006 she chaired Arizona Together, the statewide campaign that defeated Proposition 107, which would have banned the recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Arizona.[11] In 2008, she also led the campaign against Proposition 102, a narrowed down version of Proposition 107.[12] Proposition 102 was approved by 56% of voters in the general election on November 4, 2008.

She was Assistant Leader to the Democratic Caucus.

A supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, Sinema was a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.[13] In July 2009, she published her first book, entitled Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win and Last.

In 2010 she was picked as one of Time Magazine's "40 Under 40" saying "In an epic election cycle, a new generation of civic leaders is already at work trying to fix a broken system—and restore faith in the process. Meet the rising stars of American politics".[14]

[edit] 2012 congressional election

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2012

In June 2011, Sinema said she was considering running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.[15]

On January 3, 2012, Sinema announced her bid for Congress, in the newly created 9th Congressional District.[16] Although not required to do so under Arizona's resign-to-run laws, she voluntarily gave up her seat in the Arizona Senate that same day. If elected, Sinema would be the first openly bisexual member of Congress.[17]

[edit] Personal life

Sinema is openly bisexual.[18]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Outhier, Craig (February 2011). "Phoenix Democrat Kyrsten Sinema". Phoenix Magazine. pp. 39. http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201102/phoenix-democrat-kyrsten-sinema/. Retrieved April 25, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Project Vote Smart: Rep. Kyrsten Sinema". http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=28338. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
  3. ^ "Rep. Kyrsten Sinema: biography". http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp?Member_ID=52&Legislature=48. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
  4. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=324363
  5. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=47481
  6. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=735328
  7. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=210349
  8. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=278545
  9. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=323392
  10. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=512927
  11. ^ "Straight couples pivotal in gay marriage fight". The Arizona Republic. 2006-11-09. http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/32052.php. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
  12. ^ [1][dead link]
  13. ^ "Democrats finalize delegate list". PolitickerAZ.com. 2008-04-28. http://www.politickeraz.com/evanbrown/1099/democrats-finalize-delegate-list. Retrieved 2008-07-29. [dead link]
  14. ^ "40 Under 40". Time Magazine. 2010-10-19. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2023831_2023829_2025183,00.html. Retrieved 2010-10-19. 
  15. ^ Trygstad, Kyle (June 9, 2011). "Arizona State Senator Interested in House Bid". Roll Call. http://www.rollcall.com/news/arizona_state_senator_interested_house_bid-206340-1.html. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
  16. ^ "State senator announces bid for Congress". Washington Examiner. January 3, 2012. http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/state-senator-announces-bid-congress/2057416. Retrieved January 3, 2012. 
  17. ^ Garcia, Michelle (January 4, 2012). "Bi Politician Announces Congressional Bid". The Advocate. http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/04/Bi_Politician_Announces_Congressional_Bid/. Retrieved January 8, 2012. 
  18. ^ "Gay-marriage-ban foes raise straight issue anew". Arizona Daily Star. 2 May 2008. http://azstarnet.com/news/gay-marriage-ban-foes-raise-straight-issue-anew/article_28d83a95-1dcb-5483-9488-efa27d341ecc.html. Retrieved 3 January 2012. 

[edit] External links

Members of the Arizona State Senate
   
  1.    Steve Pierce (R)
  2.    Jack Jackson (D)
  3.    Ron Gould (R)
  4.    Judy Burges (R)
  5.    Sylvia Allen (R)
  6.    Lori Klein (R)
  1.    Nancy K. Barto (R)
  2.    Michele Reagan (R)
  3.    Rick Murphy (R)
  4.    Linda Gray (R)
  5.    Adam Driggs (R)
  6.    John B. Nelson (R)
  1.    Steve Gallardo (D)
  2.    Robert Meza (D)
  3.    David Lujan (D)
  4.    Leah Landrum Taylor (D)
  5.    David Schapira (D)
  6.    Jerry Lewis (R)
  1.    Rich Crandall (R)
  2.    John McComish (R)
  3.    Steve Yarbrough (R)
  4.    Andy Biggs (R)
  5.    Steve Smith (R)
  6.    Don Shooter (R)
  1.    Gail Griffin (R)
  2.    Al Melvin (R)
  3.    Olivia Cajero Bedford (D)
  4.    Paula Aboud (D)
  5.    Linda J. Lopez (D)
  6.    Frank Antenori (R)
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