Senator Jon Kyl, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and Senate, passed today at the age of 84. For many of us who had the privilege of knowing him, his passing marks the loss of not just a statesman, but a mentor whose influence shaped our careers and callings.
I was twenty years old when I first saw an internship listing for his office in an Arizona State University binder. From the very beginning, working with his team was a joy. It set my course on the right path from the very beginning.
To this day, I still think, "What would Jon Kyl do?"
I watched him work across the aisle with Senator Harry Reid and so many others, and I learned what unity really meant — not agreement, but mutual respect. I watched the Crime Victims' Rights Act move through negotiations and saw firsthand how he approached legislation with discipline, principle, and care. Nearly fifteen years after the Crime Victims' Rights Act passed, I became the Senior Advisor to that very office at the Department of Justice. That is because of his legacy.
I saw his priorities up close with his family and friendships. I also saw how intentionally he carved out time to go to "almost" off the grid to Greer, Arizona every chance he could. I saw him value Senate Chaplains, his faith, and his constant knowledge that God was really in charge of it all.
He worked harder than anyone else in the Senate — and more effectively. He gave me a love for policy. I have thought often about how he worked with people who held very different values to build something we could all agree on.
The ATIP (Anti-Trafficking in Persons) Policy Roundtable in the U.S. Senate which is a true bipartisan event focused on stopping human trafficking and child exploitation uses principles I first learned from him. I started working for him shortly after September 11th, 2001 and I frequently focus on the intersection between terrorism, national security, and human rights because that's what I first saw him do. When I formed the ATIP Roundtable several years ago, I have often thought: How would JK lead this?
And this is not just my opinion - his reputation proceeds him like few others when they leave Congress. I was in a high-level meeting years ago when the person started by saying, "I looked you up before you came. You worked for Senator Kyl. He hires only the best. I'm going to consider you a friend, and I want to hear what you have to say." His staff was the absolute best in Congress at the time— a testament to the excellence he demanded of himself and those around him. Many of us are still close friends to this day, something exceedingly rare in Washington.
One of my favorite more recent stories was in 2019 when I messaged him asking if he could help secure the release of a persecuted Iranian Christian imprisoned on death row for her faith. He responded within twenty minutes, connecting me to the right people. Not only is that woman now free, but her two sisters and nieces are safe as well.
He was extraordinarily generous with his time and understanding, especially to a young person still finding her way. I owe my political understanding and much of my worldview to the years spent sitting in his office, walking with him to meetings, driving him around town, reading his feedback, staffing him at events, and listening, watching, and learning.
His decisions and his character have stood the test of time. He led with integrity behind closed doors, built an extraordinary team, and changed countless lives for good. I will always be grateful for his legacy.
