Democratic U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema won’t jump from her current district to the one being vacated by retiring Rep. Ed Pastor.
Sinema announced on her campaign Facebook page Thursday that she intends to seek re-election in her current 9th Congressional District that covers Tempe and other southeast Phoenix areas. The announcement comes a week after speculation emerged that she might change districts.
The 9th is a swing district that either party could win. Sinema won in 2012 by about four percentage points.
Pastor’s 7th District in south Phoenix is solidly Democratic, meaning Sinema could avoid a Republican challenge every two years if she switched and won.
Numerous Democrats plan to run in the 7th District. They include Sen. Steve Gallardo, Rep. Ruben Gallego and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox.