By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is opening fire for the first time in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race, lending her support in the most public of ways to fellow Democrat Mark Kelly as he seeks to unseat her one-time rival, Sen. Martha McSally.
Sinema, D-Ariz., who defeated McSally, R-Ariz., in the 2018 race for the state’s other Senate seat, is featured in a new television ad for Kelly after avoiding direct, public confrontation with McSally.
The commercial launched Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s only debate between McSally and Kelly. Sinema’s entry into the race builds on fundraising she has done on Kelly’s behalf, an endorsement earlier this year of former Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for president, and various endorsements of Arizona state lawmakers.
In the ad, Sinema reminds viewers of McSally’s voting record to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which prevents insurers from denying coverage to those with preexisting medical conditions.
