A new day has dawned!
Philadelphia state representative Malcolm Kenyatta recently announced a 2022 run for Senate, Blavity reports.
The 30-year-old made history back in 2018 as one of the youngest state reps and the state’s second openly gay person to ever serve in that capacity. If elected to the Senate, he’d be the first openly gay Black man elected as senator.
It’s official: I am a Democrat running to be a voice for working families in the US Senate. Help us build this movement from the ground up: https://t.co/S4UAhtPfkU pic.twitter.com/8amZkdaKac
advertisement— Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) February 19, 2021
Before his role in politics, Kenyatta was a community organizer and activist, advocating for issues pertinent to millennials and those from underserved populations. He was one of few young Black leaders advocating for President Joe Biden from the beginning, receiving enhanced visibility and support from the Biden campaign due to his help. Kenyatta hopes to bring that same dedication and commitment with him to serve Philadelphians in the Senate.
“I know what it’s like to see an eviction notice, to work a minimum wage job. My first one was at the age of 12, working to support my family. My dad was a social worker. My mom was a home healthcare aide. No matter how hard they worked, [they] struggled to make ends meet for me and my siblings,” Kenyatta said. “And unfortunately, my story isn’t that unique. We have to choose, are we going to go down the path of darkness, or are we ready to bring a new day to Pennsylvania.”
Kenyatta is looking to take the seat of outgoing Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. He’ll be going up against 51-year-old Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the current frontrunner who gained national coverage for his ability to unite the party of working-class whites. Kenyatta has also advocated for working-class locals, gaining notoriety for his commitment to protecting service workers during the pandemic. The PA state rep has also spoken in support of legislation to raise the minimum wage and is in support of government interference in the student loan crisis.
The Senate hopeful recently spoke about the inspiration behind his upcoming campaign, saying, “A part of the way we have endured is that every generation has stepped up and worked to preserve and expand the promise of America. We have an opportunity and responsibility to do that right now. Think about what is happening with this cruel, cruel pandemic. A part of what it has done is made more clear a lot of what’s been broken for a long time, what’s been broken prior to this former president.”
Congratulations, Malcolm!
Photo Courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer