Malcolm Kenyatta
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 181st district
Assumed office
January 1, 2019 (2019-01-01)
Preceded byCurtis Thomas
Personal details
Born (1990-07-30) July 30, 1990
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMatthew Miller[1]
RelativesMuhammad Kenyatta (grandfather)
EducationTemple University (BA)
Drexel University (MS)
Websitemalcolmkenyatta.com

Malcolm Kenyatta (born July 30, 1990) is an American politician from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the Pennsylvania State Representative for the 181st district since 2019.

Early life and education

Kenyatta was born to Kelly Kenyatta and Malcolm J. Kenyatta, at Temple University Hospital in North Central Philadelphia. He has three adopted siblings. Kenyatta is the grandson of the civil rights activist Muhammad I. Kenyatta.[2]

Kenyatta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in strategic communication from Temple University and a Master of Science in public communication from Drexel University.[3][4] During college, Kenyatta organized student protests against proposed education budget cuts by then-Governor Tom Corbett.[5][6]

During college, Kenyatta was also an avid poet and performer.[7][8] In 2008, with the help of theater professor Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon,[9] he founded the award-winning poetry collective Babel, which has twice won the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.[10]

Kenyatta completed a Harvard Kennedy School of Government three-week executive education program, Senior Executives in State and Local Government, as a David Bohnett Fellow in 2019.[11]

Career

Kenyatta has been engaged in community affairs and politics since he was eleven years old, serving as the junior block captain with the Philadelphia Streets program.[12]

Kenyatta has worked as a community activist, specifically around issues of poverty, which he has called "the moral and economic issue of our generation." He worked as a political consultant on multiple state and local races, most notably as the campaign manager for lawyer and activist Sherrie Cohen,[13] the daughter of longtime city councilman David Cohen, in her 2015 bid for the Philadelphia City Council.

Kenyatta backed Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries and has been critical of Bernie Sanders.[14] He does not support an immediate transition to Medicare for All, noting that he would support interim bipartisan measures instead.[15] Kenyatta supports abolishing the United States Senate filibuster.[16]

In 2016 and 2020, he was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.[17] He was selected as one of seventeen speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.[18] This made him, Sam Park, and Robert Garcia the first openly-gay speakers in a keynote slot at a Democratic National Convention.[19]

Kenyatta was one of 20 electors selected by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to vote in the Electoral College for Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris in 2020 United States presidential election.[20]

In April 2023, Biden appointed Kenyatta as chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans.[21]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

In December 2017, Kenyatta announced his campaign for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives[22] to replace the long-serving incumbent Curtis Thomas.[23] He won a five-way Democratic party primary election in May 2018 with 42.1% of the vote.[24] The night of the election, unidentified people set up homophobic posters of him and his ex-husband throughout the district.[25]

Kenyatta won the general election in November against Republican opponent Milton Street with 95.3% of the vote.[26] The win made him one of the youngest elected State Representatives in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the first openly-LGBTQ person of color elected to either chamber of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in the state's history.[27]

Despite running in the 2022 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Kenyatta also remained on the primary ballot for re-election to 181st district, for which he ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

2022 United States Senate campaign

On February 18, 2021, Kenyatta announced his bid for the United States Senate in the 2022 Democratic primary.[28] He lost the Democratic nomination to Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, winning only 10.9% of the vote and also losing his home county.[29]

2024 Auditor General campaign

On March 8, 2023, Kenyatta announced his candidacy to be Pennsylvania's Auditor General. Kenyatta is the first Democrat to announce a bid to challenge the incumbent Auditor General, Timothy DeFoor.[30]

Recognition

In 2017, Kenyatta was named as one of Philadelphia Magazine's 38 "people we love" as a "neighborhood champ."[31]

Kenyatta was the subject of an award-winning documentary, Going Forward,[32][33] which followed his 2018 victory.

The Philadelphia Tribune called Kenyatta one of Philadelphia's most influential African-Americans.[34]

In 2020, Kenyatta was named an OUT 100 Honoree by OUT Magazine, their annual list of the most "impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people". In the same year, he was awarded the Sen. Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award.[35]

Electoral history

2018 Pennsylvania State Representative election for the 181st district, Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Malcolm Kenyatta 2,270 42.14
Democratic Lewis Nash Sr. 1,435 26.64
Democratic Lewis F. Thomas III 956 17.75
Democratic Jason Alexander Deering 422 7.83
Democratic Gilberto Gonzalez 304 5.64
Total votes 5,387 100
2018 Pennsylvania State Representative election for the 181st district
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Malcolm Kenyatta 21,382 95.32 -4.68
Republican Thomas Street 1,050 4.68 +4.68
Total votes 22,432 100.0% N/A
Democratic hold
2020 Pennsylvania State Representative election for the 181st district, Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Malcolm Kenyatta (incumbent) Unopposed
Total votes 10,377 100
2020 Pennsylvania State Representative election for the 181st district
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Malcolm Kenyatta (incumbent) Unopposed
Total votes 25,258 100.0%
Democratic hold
2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Democratic primary[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Fetterman 753,557 58.65%
Democratic Conor Lamb 337,498 26.27%
Democratic Malcolm Kenyatta 139,393 10.85%
Democratic Alexandria Khalil 54,460 4.24%
Total votes 1,284,908 100.00%

References

  1. ↑ La Gorce, Tammy (March 6, 2022). "For a State Representative, the Ideal Candidate". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  2. ↑ Marriott, Michel (January 6, 1992). "Muhammad Kenyatta, 47, Dies; Professor and Civil Rights Leader". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta | Biography". www.pahouse.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  4. ↑ Bleier, Will (May 17, 2018). "Temple alumnus Malcolm Kenyatta wins state House primary election". The Temple News. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  5. ↑ Brust, Amelia (February 1, 2012). "Days before Corbett's budget address, students hold rally for higher education funding". The Temple News.
  6. ↑ Simmons, Shanel (February 21, 2012). "'STEPS' taken to spread suicide awareness". The Temple News.
  7. ↑ Zankey, Maria (April 7, 2009). "The 15 best student artists: Malcolm Kenyatta". The Temple News. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Temple Smash: Malcolm Kenyatta". Temple TV (Video). February 28, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon". Temple University. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  10. ↑ Cobbs, Jasmine (May 16, 2016). "Poetry as Performance: Temple's Babel Poetry Collective". Temple College of Liberal Arts. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ "David Bohnett Foundation". Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Torches are Passed and Precedents Set in Pennsylvania's Midterm Election Sweep - The Philadelphia Sunday Sun". The Philadelphia Sunday Sun. November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  13. ↑ Owens, Ernest (February 5, 2016). "Q&A: Malcolm Kenyatta on Being Openly LGBTQ in Local Politics". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  14. ↑ Ember, Sydney (March 16, 2020). "Bernie Sanders Wants to Fight On. He Has His Reasons". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ Terruso, Julia (March 2, 2021). "Welcome to Pennsylvania's very progressive 2022 Democratic Senate primary". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  16. ↑ Everett, Burgress (March 23, 2021). "Killing the filibuster becomes new 'litmus test' for Democratic candidates". Retrieved May 1, 2021 – via politico.com.
  17. ↑ Menon, Aishwarya (May 25, 2016). "SMC Alumus Malcolm Kenyatta to Represent the 2nd District in the Democratic National Convention". Temple University News - Klein College of Communications. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Democrats Unveil A New Kind of Convention Keynote". 2020 Democratic National Convention. August 16, 2020. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Three Gay 'Rising Stars' Join DNC Keynote — One With His Fiancé". www.advocate.com. August 18, 2020.
  20. ↑ Routh, Julian (December 14, 2020). "Pennsylvania's presidential electors make it official, formally certify vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris".
  21. ↑ Kane, Christopher (April 23, 2023). "Malcolm Kenyatta, Marisa Richmond to join presidential advisory commission". Washington Blade.
  22. ↑ Rodriguez, Jeremy (December 20, 2017). "Malcolm Kenyatta announces campaign for state rep". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  23. ↑ Bowen, Lindsay (April 10, 2018). "Curtis Thomas announces retirement, endorses Malcolm Kenyatta". The Temple News. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Malcolm Kenyatta". Ballotpedia. May 15, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  25. ↑ Owens, Ernest (May 15, 2018). "Malcolm Kenyatta Makes History With State House Primary Victory". www.phillymag.com. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Reporting Center: 2018 General Primary". Pennsylvania Department of State | Pennsylvania Elections. Pennsylvania Department of State. May 15, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Pa. Elects First Openly Gay Person of Color to Statehouse". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  28. ↑ Gabriel, Trip (February 19, 2021). "Malcolm Kenyatta announces his candidacy for a Pennsylvania Senate seat". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  29. ↑ Kapur, Sahil (May 17, 2022). "John Fetterman wins Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania after health scare". NBCNews.com. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  30. ↑ Terruso, Julia (March 9, 2023). "Malcolm Kenyatta is running for auditor general: 'We need an underdog as the watchdog'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Best of Philly 2017: 38 Philadelphians We Love". Philadelphia Magazine. Metro Corp. July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  32. ↑ Harris, Tim (December 21, 2018). "Inside a Historic Win on Election Day 2018". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  33. ↑ Conde, Ximena (March 26, 2019). "Short doc on N. Philly state Rep. Kenyatta's historic win has East Coast premiere". WHYY-TV. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  34. ↑ "2020 Philadelphia's Most Influential African Americans". The Philadelphia Tribune. November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  35. ↑ Fortino, Sebastian (December 2, 2020), "Malcolm Kenyatta receives Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award", Philadelphia Gay News, retrieved February 16, 2021
  36. ↑ "Pennsylvania Primary Election Results". Pennsylvania Department of State. May 17, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
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