Former Vice President Joe Biden endorses Kyrsten Sinema for Senate

PHOENIX — Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema picked up a high-profile endorser in her bid to replace Republican Jeff Flake in the U.S. Senate: Joe Biden.

The former vice president and potential 2020 presidential candidate committed his support to Sinema on Thursday, calling the U.S. congresswoman “as hard-working and principled as they come” in a news release from the Sinema campaign.

The Arizona seat is developing into a key battleground for Democrats in their bid to gain control of the Senate. The GOP holds the chamber 51-49 (including two independents who caucus with the Democrats) heading into the midterms.

Only eight Republican-held seats are up for election, including the one being vacated by Flake, who isn’t seeking re-election.

“I am proud to support my friend Kyrsten Sinema in her campaign for Senate,” Biden said in the release. “Kyrsten understands the challenges and opportunities that Arizona families face every day and will make a great senator.”

Sinema said she was “honored” to have the endorsement of Biden and cited their work together on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013 after she was first elected to the House.

Several recent polls showed Sinema leading each of the top Republican candidates in head-to-head matchups.

A CBS News poll of likely Arizona voters released Sunday showed Sinema ahead of U.S. Rep. Martha McSally 41 percent to 34 percent, former Arizona state Sen. Kelli Ward 43-35, and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio 45-28.

An NBC News/Marist poll released Tuesday showed results even more favorable to the Democrat, with Sinema leading McSally 49-38, Ward 48-38 and Arpaio 57-32.

Sinema has one opponent in the August Democratic primary, but Deedra Abboud isn’t expected to present a serious challenge.

Recent polling shows McSally as the most likely opponent for Sinema in the November general election.

Data Orbital released a survey Monday indicating that 38 percent of likely GOP voters favored McSally, with Ward getting 23 percent and Arapaio 17 percent.

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