The race between Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally in Arizona still has not officially been called yet, but Sinema’s lead has been growing and many believe that it would now be impossible for McSally to catch her. As Sinema shifts from candidate to likely winner, there is a lot of buzz regarding how her win can be seen as a huge win for the LGBT community.
Politico details that Democratic candidate Kyrsten Sinema’s lead over Republican Martha McSally has grown steadily day after day as Arizona continues to count their ballots. The state’s count traditionally takes longer than what happens in many other states due to the large percentage of voters who utilize the mail-in option. While the votes are still being counted, Sinema is expected to prevail over McSally and she currently leads by about 32,000 votes.
If Sinema is declared the victor in this race, she sets the stage to represent big progress for the LGBT community. Last summer, Advocate detailed that Kyrsten would be Arizona’s first female senator in the state’s history if she won, as well as the country’s first openly bisexual senator.
As LGBTQ Nation notes, this win can be seen as especially powerful considering McSally’s well-known opposition to equality for the LGBTQ community. Sinema is known for being far more moderate than some of the Democratic candidates generating buzz throughout the nation and there is little doubt she will be forceful in taking a stand as she fills the seat left open by departing Senator Jeff Flake.
JUST IN: Kyrsten Sinema now leads Martha McSally by more than 32,000 votes in Arizona Senate race: https://t.co/Nx2SWRoXoX #abc15 pic.twitter.com/NocjsTm7Kj
— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) November 12, 2018
Diversity won big on numerous fronts during these midterm elections. Vox details that Sharice Davids is breaking barriers by winning her election in Kansas as a gay, Native American candidate, and Native American candidate Deb Haaland from New Mexico will join Davids to become the first two Native American women in the House.
Jared Polis is slated to become the first openly gay man to act as governor, as he won in Colorado, and over the past year, four transgender candidates won races across the country. These midterm election results also have paved the way for plenty of other firsts in terms of female Muslim representatives, women winning leadership positions, and black candidates beating the odds in their respective battles.
According to Whitman’s Matt McDermott via Twitter , more than 100 candidates representing the LGBTQ community won their elections this past week. People across the country are thrilled by these results and cannot wait to see the impact that Kyrsten Sinema and others from the LGBTQ community have as they dig in to get things done in Washington, D.C.
