In Arizona, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Martha McSally are vying to win the open Senate seat left by Sen. Jeff Flake, who is retiring. McSally is a Republican member of Congress who has been in the House since 2014 and easily won the GOP primary earlier this year. Sinema is a Democratic member of Congress who was elected in 2012 and has served three terms.
McSally is one of the rare Republican women who is putting gender at the forefront of her campaign. She served in the Air Force and was the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, and she’s made her barrier-breaking service a part of her campaign.
Sinema is one of the more conservative Democrats in the House — she has even voted with President Trump a few times on key immigration issues. She’s also faced questions about how she has represented her upbringing.
Arizona is a deeply red state — it hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since the 1980s; it went for Trump in 2016; and the last time the state voted for a Democratic presidential candidate was Bill Clinton in 1996. However, demographics in the state are changing, and some experts think it’s one of the red states that might have the potential to go blue this year.
Martha McSally just lost the Arizona Senate race. She could still be a senator next year.
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesRepublican Martha McSally has officially lost the Arizona Senate race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnnell may still find a way for her to serve in the Senate next year.
CNN reported on Tuesday that “McConnell and other national Republican powerhouses” are advocating for McSally to serve out the the term of Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl — who was appointed earlier this summer to replace Sen. John McCain.
Read Article >Kyrsten Sinema is the first Democrat to win an Arizona Senate seat in 30 years
Kyrsten Sinema participates in a coin toss at an Arizona State football game on November 3, 2018. Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesKyrsten Sinema defeated Republican Martha McSally — becoming the first Democrat to win an Arizona Senate seat in 30 years. Her victory is another notch in Democrats’ strong 2018 midterm showing and a crucial boost for their numbers in the upper chamber.
It’s also historic: Sinema is the first woman the state has elected to the Senate and the first openly bisexual person to win a seat in the upper chamber. Her win will help Democrats work toward holding Republicans to a narrow margin, ensuring that the party keeps at least 47 seats in the Senate — with Florida and Mississippi still undecided.
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