Kyrsten Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1976 and has
lived in Phoenix
since 1995. She was first elected to the State
Legislature in 2004, and in 2006 was re-elected to continue serving central
Phoenix in District 15.
Kyrsten holds a juris doctorate and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. Kyrsten is an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University and practices criminal defense law in the Phoenix community. She also works for the Center for Progressive Leadership, teaching tomorrow’s political leaders about leadership and the political process.
Prior to her work at the Legislature, Kyrsten was a social
worker in the Washington School District. She created and directed the
Sunnyslope community’s first Family Resource Center. She focused on community
development, adult and community education, grant writing and
administration, and advocacy for low-income, minority, refugee, and undocumented
families.
Kyrsten is actively involved in the community, serving as the
Board President for COAR (Community Outreach and Advocacy for Refugees), Board
Member of the National Young Elected Officials’ Network, Board Member of the
Progressive Democrats of American, Board Member of Girls for a Change, Advisory
Board Member for the Arizona Death Penalty Forum, Board Member of the Center for
Progressive Leadership, and a member of the Governor’s Commission to Prevent
Violence Against Women. Recently, she served as the Chair of Arizona Together,
the first campaign to defeat a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot.
Kyrsten is dedicated to serving the community, focusing on
advocating for disadvantaged and oppressed populations, environmental justice,
and social justice.