By Helen Ehrlich, News Editor
North Philadelphia’s state Representative Malcom Kenyatta (D-181) rose to national prominence in 2018, as the first openly-LGBTQ person of color to be elected to Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. He beat the Republican candidate with 95.3% of the vote, and drew vast attention with a mini-documentary titled “Going Forward.” Now, Kenyatta is looking to go further on the national stage, as he has officially launched his campaign to be Pennsylvania’s next senator.
There have only been three openly LGBTQ+ senators in Unites States’ history. Senator Harris Wofford from Pennsylvania was elected for one term in 1991. In 2016 he announced his marriage to the man who was his partner since 2001, making him the first known LGBT senator. Waffled came out after his time in the Senate concluded, meaning there have only been two openly senators to hold office while openly being members of the LGBTQ community.
Kenyatta would be the first openly LGBTQ+ senator from Pennsylvania to be elected. He also would be Pennsylvania’s first Black senator from, and only the twelfth in the U.S. Senate’s history. Additionally, he would be bringing representation in the Senate back to Pennsylvania’s largest city. The last U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania to live in Philadelphia was PA’s longest-serving Senator, Arlen Specter (who served January 1981- Jan. 2011).
Pennsylvania’s political landscape has been overwhelmingly white, as the commonwealth has only ever had white men serve as U.S. Senators. While Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are both incredibly diverse, and formerly served as the nation’s capital, there has been little representation that accurately reflects the commonwealth’s population. Kenyatta is essentially running against the very perception of what makes a Pennsylvanian Senator.
Kenyatta is currently polling third, behind Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and Representative Conor Lamb. Fetterman is at 46%, Lamb is at 16% and Kenyatta follows at 12%. Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh was at 4%, and withdrew, as the first candidate to depart from the primary race. Fetterman is currently beating every Democrat and Republican running (including Dr. Oz) with $12 million (read more here). Lamb is at $3.3 million and Kenyatta has the lowest funds at the moment, at $1.5 million. The majority of Kenyatta’s funding has been coming from out of state.
While Kenyatta is lauded as a voice of a new generation in politics, he shies away from directly aligning with progressive stances like Medicare For All. Kenyatta backed Biden in the primaries, and has criticized one of the more national progressive figures, Bernie Sanders. While Kenyatta has not directly labeled himself as a progressive or moderate, he generally considers himself a voice for the working class. He has, however, continued to pick up key endorsements from Progressive groups, including Howard Dean’s Democracy For America (DFA). Yvette Simpson, CEO of DFA said, “People need to see themselves in the highest levels of government, and those in the highest levels of government need to look like, live like, speak for, and fight for the needs of ordinary people.”
While Kenyatta’s story is full of triumph and situations where he has overcome obstacles, he continues to insist that his determination and locally-focused efforts are not foreign to the city and commonwealth. “My story certainly has a lot of distinct parts that are unique to me, but not that unique to most Pennsylvanians,” he told Business Insider. Kenyatta’s rise to politics has been distinctly defined by his personal identities and passion for the city, and his Senate race appears to be driven by similar interests.
Raising the minimum wage is a distinct focus of the campaign. Kenyatta explained to CBS Philly, “My mom, before she died, I think the highest wage she ever got was $12.50 (an hour). That’s not represented in the Senate. And yet, working people are told, ‘Don’t worry, don’t worry, working person, we’ll take care of you. We’ll be fighting for you.’ And it’s like, will you? Will you, really?”
Kenyatta is still a relatively fresh face in the political world, but his passion in the House of Representatives has launched him far. Kenyatta also remains close to the Biden team, after endorsing early in the race. He became an official delegate at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2016 and 2020, making him one of the first openly gay keynote speakers at the DNC.
Thus far, Kenyatta’s campaign remains centered around Philadelphia, a strategy that could win him votes in a valuable region. However, Kenyatta will have to prove he has the ability to connect with a broader coalition across the commonwealth. The crucial points for Kenyatta will be getting his message out across the state. Although full scale campaigning, including television campaigns, have not begun, getting the message through such a large state will be a difficult battle without cash flow.
An endorsement from Philadelphia’s largest city worker union, District Council 33, has also helped propel him forward. He has continued to pick up swaths of endorsements, but the labor union force is a less unified force than in previous years, meaning there is not a single bloc that must be courted. Lamb nabbed the endorsement of the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council, which is a big win for him, as it is a group that stretches out into the suburbs, representing 30 labor unions in the city. Lamb is pushing for Democratic leaders in Philly to join his camp, which makes Kenyatta’s homegrown message more vital to the success of his run.
Polling has shown that the majority of Pennsylvanians oppose fracking and support climate action, which does not immediately leave Kenyatta iced out in the middle of the state. His focus on boosting employment through renewable energy could be sold, though it’s a tense topic in PA. Kenyatta is the only candidate to openly support a moratorium on fracking, which earned him the endorsement from Braddock’s Mayor Chardaé Jones, a blow to frontrunner Fetterman (who was mayor of Braddock and still calls it home).
Pennsylvania’s Senate race is arguably one of the most crucial races in the country, which makes Malcom Kenyatta’s campaign all the more critical for those who feel represented by his campaign.
