State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta on Saturday received an endorsement for his U.S. Senate run from Pittsburgh-based activist group One PA.
“A voice like Malcolm’s, young, non-white, not straight and saddled with student loan debt … has been solely missing in the Senate,” LaSaine Latimore, chair of One PA’s board of directors, said at a gathering at Freedom Corner in the Hill District,
Mr. Kenyatta, 31, a Democrat, has represented parts of Philadelphia, his hometown, since 2019 and announced his run for the Senate in February.
He is seeking the seat being vacated by Pat Toomey, a two-term Republican who has announced his retirement from the Senate. Mr. Kenyatta is part of a crowd seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 17 primary election — nine others have announced their intention to run, as have eight Republicans.
“In this moment, we need to fundamentally change the Senate,” he said. “A part of the way we ensure we have a government that works for working people — it’s not real rocket science — [is to] actually elect working people.”
Known as One Pittsburgh before its statewide expansion, One PA has worked on such issues as housing rights and supporting UPMC workers striving for higher wages and better benefits.
The organization’s political committee of about 20 members statewide determines the races and candidates who best represent the group’s interests. They then send out questionnaires and interview the candidates before endorsing. One PA previously endorsed state Rep. Ed Gainey in the Democrat’s successful run for Pittsburgh mayor this year.
Erin Kramer, One PA’s executive director, said Mr. Kenyatta isn’t the “standard politician,” and that his campaign closely aligns with One PA’s goals.
Mr. Kenyatta has focused much of his campaign on helping “working people” by advocating for things such as affordable health care and creating green and sustainable jobs.
“He’s experienced a lot of the things we’re fighting about,” Ms. Latimore said. “He didn’t come from an elitist family.”
If elected, Mr. Kenyatta said one of the issues he would address immediately is raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. It is currently $7.25 an hour.
“I grew up with two working, poor parents,” Mr. Kenyatta said, “I know what it means to have the expertise of so many people who are deciding whether or not they are going to go to that doctor or have that procedure, because you could get a bill in the mail that you’re never going to be able to pay.”
Mr. Kenyatta also has been endorsed by such organizations as the American Federation of Teachers and the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
Hallie Lauer: hluaer@post-gazette.com
First Published: November 20, 2021, 9:47 p.m.
Updated: November 21, 2021, 12:05 a.m.
