Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta will be running for U.S. Senate in 2022 to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, according to The New York Times. The 30-year-old made the announcement last week in appearances on MSNBC and a video released by his campaign. 

“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," Kenyatta said in a campaign video.

"My dad was a social worker. My mom was a home healthcare aide. No matter how hard they worked, struggled to make ends meet for me and my siblings. 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?” he added. 

Kenyatta is no stranger to making history. After winning his race in 2018 to become a state representative from Philadelphia, he became the state's second openly gay person to serve in the role and one of the youngest to ever do it. If he wins his race for Senate in 2022, he'd be the first openly gay Black man to serve as a senator, according to Queerty. 

But Kenyatta faces an uphill battle in the primary for the seat and is entering a crowded race of beloved candidates each vying for their own slice of the Democratic Party.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer and other outlets, the leading candidate is 51-year-old Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who gained national prominence last year for his opposition to former President Donald Trump and his ability to reignite the party's fading connections with union-affiliated working-class white residents of the state. 

But Fetterman has faced controversy in recent weeks over a situation in 2013 when he threatened an innocent Black jogger with a shotgun, as Blavity previously reported. He has since apologized for the incident while also defending his actions. 

Kenyatta has proven to be a shrewd politician even at his young age. While many younger Black leaders in the state supported the primary candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kenyatta supported President Joe Biden from the beginning.

The move paid off handsomely for Kenyatta, who got prime speaking slots and national exposure from the Biden campaign in exchange for his support.

He was given a speaking slot during the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and was called one of the party's 17 "rising stars" during the event. 

Kenyatta sat down with NBC10 this week to discuss his candidacy and speak about why he was running.

"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," Kenyatta said. 

"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 the former president," he added. 


Kenyatta has gained local attention for his fiery speeches and his time advocating for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to local NPR member WHYY, Kenyatta was a community organizer and activist before running for state representative in 2018. 

He noted many of the issues he’s an advocate for are personal to him because of his upbringing. He was involved in political work from a very young age. 

“My first gig was at the age of 12, washing dishes to help my mom pay the bills. All the issues we’re talking about … these issues are not hypothetical for me. They’re real,” he told WHYY, adding that he was advocating for the minimum wage to be raised and for the government to do something to address the student loan crisis. 

Others are looking into running in the primary and there are already concerns that the race will become one of the most expensive ever run in the state. Reps. Conor Lamb and Chrissy Houlahan, and Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh have all mulled runs for the same seat, according to The New York Times. 

John Fettermanmalcolm kenyattaPat-ToomeyU.S. Senate