Kyrsten Sinema facts for kids

"Sinema" redirects here. For other uses, see Sinema (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Kyrsten Sinema
Sinema in 2020

United States Senator from Arizona
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Jeff Flake
Succeeded by	Ruben Gallego
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 9th district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Greg Stanton
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	(1976-07-12) July 12, 1976 (age 48) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Green (before 2004) Democratic (2004–2022) Independent (2022–present)
Spouse	Blake Dain (m. 1995; div. 1999)
Education	Brigham Young University (BA) Arizona State University, Tempe (MSW, JD, PhD, MBA)
Signature

Kyrsten Lea Sinema (born July 12, 1976) is an American politician. She served as a United States senator for Arizona from 2019 to 2025. She started her political career with the Democratic Party but became an independent in December 2022.

Before becoming a senator, Sinema was a state representative and a state senator in Arizona. She also served as a United States representative for Arizona's 9th district. She first became known for supporting causes like LGBT rights and speaking out against certain wars.

Sinema won the 2018 Senate election. She is the first openly bisexual person and the second openly LGBT woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She is also the first woman elected to the Senate from Arizona. She was one of four independent senators, though she often worked with the Democrats.

During her time in the Senate, Sinema was seen as a very important "swing vote." This means her vote could decide if a bill passed or not, especially when the Senate was closely divided. On March 5, 2024, she announced she would not run for reelection.

Early Life and Education

Kyrsten Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona, on July 12, 1976. Her parents divorced when she was young. Her mother and stepfather later faced financial difficulties. For about three years, her family lived in an abandoned gas station. Sinema has shared that during this time, they often did not have a working toilet or electricity.

She graduated from Walton High School at age 16. She then earned her first college degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1995 when she was 18. After college, Sinema returned to Arizona.

While working as a social worker, she continued her education. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from Arizona State University in 1999. In 2004, she earned a law degree (J.D.) and began working as a criminal defense lawyer. She later earned a Ph.D. in justice studies and an M.B.A., both from Arizona State.

Political Career Beginnings

In 2003, Sinema started teaching at Arizona State University. She began her political journey with the Arizona Green Party. She later joined the Arizona Democratic Party in 2004.

In her early career, Sinema worked on political campaigns and ran for local offices as an independent. She also spoke out against certain government policies. For example, she organized anti-war protests before the Iraq War began. She believed in using legal systems rather than military action to solve international problems.

Arizona State Legislature

Running for Office

Sinema in 2009

In 2002, Sinema first ran for the Arizona House of Representatives as an independent. She did not win that election.

In 2004, Sinema joined the Democratic Party. That year, she won a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives. She was reelected three times. In 2010, Sinema was elected to the Arizona Senate.

Key Work in Arizona

Sinema in 2010

As an elected official, Sinema quickly became known for her support of LGBT rights. She openly shared that she is bisexual and spoke passionately about treating all people with respect.

She worked on important issues like the DREAM Act, which aims to help young undocumented immigrants. She also led campaigns against proposals that would have banned same-sex marriage and civil unions in Arizona.

In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Sinema to a task force that helped shape the Affordable Care Act, a major healthcare law. She also worked on a bill to give in-state college tuition to veterans.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections to Congress

Sinema's official portrait as U.S. Representative in 2013

In 2012, Sinema decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. She won the Democratic primary election. In the general election, she faced Republican Vernon Parker. The campaign was very competitive.

Sinema won the election, becoming only the second Anglo Democrat to represent her area of Arizona in over 30 years. She also became the first openly bisexual person elected to the U.S. Congress.

She was reelected to the House in 2014 and 2016, winning by comfortable margins.

Her Work in the House

After being elected to Congress, Sinema became known for working with both Democrats and Republicans. She joined groups like the Blue Dog Coalition (a group of conservative Democrats) and the Problem Solvers Caucus (a bipartisan group).

She continued to support the DREAM Act. She also worked on financial issues, sometimes supporting bills that aimed to reduce certain government regulations.

U.S. Senate

Running for the Senate

Sinema at a U.S. Senate campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, in October 2018

In September 2017, Sinema announced she would run for the U.S. Senate seat in Arizona. The Republican senator holding the seat, Jeff Flake, decided not to run again.

Sinema won the Democratic primary. Her opponent in the general election was Republican Martha McSally. Sinema won the election on November 12, 2018. She became the first woman to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate. She was also the first Democrat elected to that Senate seat from Arizona since 1977.

Her Time in the Senate

Sinema was sworn into the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2019. Instead of using a traditional Bible, she chose to be sworn in on copies of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Arizona.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sinema became known for wearing colorful wigs. Her team explained she did this to show the importance of social distancing and staying home.

She voted to remove President Donald Trump from office in both of his impeachment trials. She also urged her Senate colleagues to support a commission to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

In December 2022, Sinema announced she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. She still worked with the Democratic Party for her committee assignments in the Senate.

In late 2023, Sinema helped negotiate a bill about the Mexico–United States border crisis. However, the bill did not pass. On March 5, 2024, she announced she would not seek reelection, saying her way of working for compromise seemed to be "a model of the past."

Senate Committees

As a U.S. Senator, Sinema served on several important committees:

Committee on Appropriations (which decides how government money is spent)
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (dealing with things like airlines and communication)
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (focused on national security and government operations)
Committee on Veterans' Affairs (supporting military veterans)
Special Committee on Aging (focused on issues for older Americans)
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (dealing with banks, housing, and the economy)

Political Views

Sinema is often described as a moderate or even conservative Democrat. This means she generally supports socially liberal ideas but has more moderate or conservative views on money and the economy. She has been recognized for working with both political parties.

Capital Punishment

Early in her career, Sinema worked to end the death penalty. She believes that no modern society should use it as a punishment. She also worked to ensure that if the death penalty is used, it is done fairly.

Economy and Taxes

Sinema has supported government spending to help the economy. She has also voted on tax issues. For example, she voted to repeal the estate tax, which affects very wealthy individuals.

In 2016, she helped create a bill to set up "parental savings accounts" to help families save money for childcare or retirement. In 2018, she voted to make certain tax cuts permanent.

In 2022, she played a role in changing parts of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a major law about climate and healthcare.

Minimum Wage

Sinema has opposed raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. In 2021, she voted against this increase as part of a COVID-19 relief bill. Her vote was different from many other Democrats.

Education

In 2019, Sinema supported a bill that would allow employers to help their employees pay off student loans.

Environment

In 2019, Sinema was one of a few Democrats who voted against the Green New Deal. This plan aimed to address climate change and economic inequality. She also voted to confirm David Bernhardt, a former oil executive, as Secretary of the Interior Department.

However, she did vote for the Natural Resources Management Act, which helps manage the country's natural resources.

Foreign Policy

Sinema supports using military force to stop genocide, such as in Sudan or Rwanda. She wrote a book about the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

While a student, she opposed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and helped organize anti-war protests. After joining Congress, her views on military force "evolved." She now believes that military action should not be completely ruled out as a last resort.

Guns

Sinema supports some gun control measures. These include requiring background checks for gun sales between private citizens and requiring a license to own a gun.

Health Care

Sinema voted against repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. However, she has also called for changes to the law to make it work better. She believes all Arizonans should have access to affordable, quality health care.

In 2021, she opposed some proposals to lower prescription drug prices.

LGBT Rights

Sinema has a strong history of supporting LGBT rights. She was a leading opponent of efforts to ban same-sex marriage in Arizona. She supports same-sex marriage, recognizing domestic partnerships, and adding gender identity to anti-discrimination laws.

Immigration

Sinema, then a State Representative, attending a protest at the Arizona State Capitol on the day of the SB 1070's signing

Sinema opposed Arizona SB 1070, a strict immigration law in Arizona. She believes that mass deportation of undocumented immigrants is not a good solution. She has supported the DREAM Act, which aims to provide a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants. She also believes undocumented workers should pay back taxes and learn English to gain citizenship.

In 2019, she voted against President Trump's declaration of a national emergency for border security.

Senate Filibuster

The Senate filibuster is a tool that allows a minority of senators to delay or block a vote on a bill. Sinema has stated that she is against getting rid of the filibuster. She believes it helps encourage compromise in the Senate.

Personal Life

Kyrsten Sinema was married to Blake Dain, a classmate from BYU, but they later divorced. She is openly bisexual. She has been described as religiously unaffiliated.

Amateur Athlete

Sinema is an active athlete. She has completed many marathons. In 2019, she ran a marathon fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

In 2013, Sinema completed an Ironman Triathlon, which is a very long race involving swimming, biking, and running. She was the first active member of Congress to complete an Ironman race. In 2013, she also climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.