Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema
Prior to being elected to Congress, Sinema had served in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature. In 2002, she first ran as an independent candidate endorsed by the Arizona Green Party, and came in 5th place with 8.2% of the vote. Subsequently, because there are two seats in each district, Ken Clark and Wally Straughn both won the election. In 2004, she won the Democratic Primary for Arizona’s 15th District with David Lujan, having won the highest margin of 37% of the vote (Lujan garnered 34%). She was re-elected three more times in 2004, 2006, and 2008 with over 30% of the vote each time. In 2009, Sinema was elected Assistant Majority Leader of the Democratic Caucus for the House of Representatives. In 2010, Sinema was elected to the Arizona Senate with 63% of the vote.
During this time period, she was awarded Sierra Club’s Most Valuable Player, the Planned Parenthood CHOICE Award, Legislator of the Year Award from both the Arizona Public Health Association and the National Association of Social Workers, Legislative Hero Award from the Arizona League of Conservation Voters, Stonewall Democrats’ Legislator of the Year Award, NAACP Civil Rights Award, Arizona Hispanic Community Forum Friend of the Year, and the Arizona Public Health Association Legislator of the Year Award. She also served on numerous community and national boards, including as Board President of Community Outreach and Advocacy for Refugees, the YWCA of Maricopa County, Center for Progressive Leadership, and the Young Elected Officials’ Network. She also has also chaired Arizona Together, the first and only successful effort in the country to defeat a same-sex marriage ballot initiative, and Protect Arizona’s Freedom, the coalition that defeated Ward Connerly’s effort to place an initiative on the state ballot to eliminate equal opportunity programs.
In 2011, Sinema announced an interest in running for Congress, but was adamant about not running against an incumbent Democrat and waited until a new map was produced with the new district, as she was living in the same neighborhood as Congressman Ed Pastor. On January 3rd, 2012, she announced her bid for Congress. Although not required to do under Arizona’s resign-to-run laws since she was in the final year of her term, she resigned anyways from her senate seat the same day. On August 28th, she won the Democratic Primary defeating former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman and Clinton Administration speechwriter Andrei Cherny and State Senator David Schapira. Following a long ballot count, Sinema was announced the winner, becoming the first openly bisexual member elected to Congress, representing Arizona’s 9th Congressional District. Once all the ballots were counted, she had actually won by 4.1 percentage points.
After he election, she joined the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, which she currently co-chairs with six others.
In 2014, Sinema ran for re-election for the 9th Congressional District, months after joining the Blue Dog Coalition. In the Democratic Primary she got 98% of the vote, and defeated her Republican opponent with 54% of the vote. During this election, Sinema received the endorsements of United States Chamber of Commerce, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Human Rights Campaign, Business-Industry Political Action Committee, EMILY’s List, and Women Under 40 Political Action Committee. On November 17th, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer chose her for a leadership position, Chief Deputy Whip, for the 114th Congress.
I’m quite pleased with the context of her Elle interview in 2013, when asked by Ann Friendman about her plans for marriage and children:
“I don’t really think that’s any of your business. Not a lot of people ask young men in politics.”
Although I am pleased someone who reflects my non-religious views, and also isn’t heterosexual, has joined Democratic Leadership on Capitol Hill. I am displeased at her comments regarding such labels as atheist, non theist or non-believer as “not befitting of…her character.” Chris Steadman, who I had the pleasure of meeting not long ago, really expresses my sentiments on this comment via CNN‘s Belief Blog:
Sinema doesn’t actually appears to be a nonbeliever. In response to news stories identifying her as an atheist, her campaign released this statement shortly after her victory: “(Rep. Sinema) believes the terms non-theist, atheist or non-believer are not befitting of her life’s work or personal character.”
As a nontheist, atheist and nonbeliever (take your pick), I find this statement deeply problematic.
It is perfectly fine, of course, if Sinema isn’t a nontheist, and it is understandable that she would want to clarify misinformation about her personal beliefs. But to say that these terms are “not befitting of her life’s work or personal character” is offensive because it implies there is something unbefitting about the lives and characters of atheists or nonbelievers.
Try substituting a religious group of your choice in place of atheist if you don’t agree: “[Rep. Sinema] believes the term Muslim is not befitting of her life’s work or personal character.” Does that sound right? It shouldn’t.
Of course, many do view Muslims as unfit for political office. In that respect, political opponents have regularly misidentified President Obama as a Muslim. Many have defended the president from such attacks by noting that Obama is a Christian.
But former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell rightly pointed out the pernicious underlying message such a defense sends:
The correct answer is: He is not a Muslim; he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, ‘What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?’ The answer is ‘No, that’s not America.’ Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?
Just as Muslim is used as a political smear, politicians seem to avoid “atheist.”
I have made a point not to cower at the idea that being an atheist as dirty or unbefitting of my own character. It is not about what ignorant things other people think of the word, but solely about what the meaning of identifying as it means to me. I simply won’t cede to others control over my identity.
Congresswoman Krysten Sinema with Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch, at the 2014 Boston Marathon (April 21st, 2014).
The Progressive Democrat 