Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election this year, leaving the Senate after one term, leaving her color Arizona blue, leaving the Democratic Party and being involved in several legislative negotiations in the tightly divided Senate. Played an important role. ,
“Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get things done, I will be leaving the Senate at the end of this year,” Sinema said in a video posted on his ex account,
Sinema’s decision paves the way for a tough and costly battle for his seat – although it will be more straightforward than the messy three-way contest he might have inspired by staying on. The leading Republican, 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and the leading Democrat, Representative Ruben Gallego, are already working hard to change the cinema.
In his video, Sinema said that partisan warfare has ruined the day.
“Compromise is a dirty word. We have come to that crossroads, and we have chosen anger and division. I believe in my vision, Sinema said, but it’s not what America wants right now.
Sinema’s decision came when her chances of winning if she ran were diminishing. Polling in the race is low, but polls have consistently shown Cinema in third place in a hypothetical three-way contest featuring Gallego and Lake. It was not clear which candidate she would receive more support from.
In particular, Sinema believed she was stronger with Arizona Republicans than with her former party. In a prospectus reported by NBC News last September, Sinema told donors that his path to victory was to attract 10% to 20% of Democrats, 60% to 70% of independents and 25% to 35% of Republicans.
Gallego praised the cinema at the news of its departure.
“As we look ahead, Arizona is at a crossroads. “Protecting abortion access, tackling housing affordability, securing our water supply, protecting our democracy – all of this and more is on the line,” he said in a statement. ,
Lake also praised Sinema in a statement: “We may not agree on everything, but I know she shares my love for Arizona. Senator Sinema stands up against the far left in defense of filibuster He had the courage to be – despite enormous pressure, including radicals in his party like Ruben Gallego who called on him to burn it all down.”
Republicans, who are hoping to take back control of the Senate this year, are looking at Arizona as a potential pickup opportunity. Democrats hold a slim majority in the Senate, and the GOP needs a net gain of two seats or one seat and the tie-breaking vice presidency to win the chamber outright.
From Green Party organizer to former GOP favorite Democrat in the US Senate, Sinema’s political role has been extraordinary. In 2004 she became a Democrat and was elected to the Arizona Legislature. At a 2011 progressive gathering, he criticized legislation being pushed by state Republicans, labeling Arizona the “meth laboratory of democracy.” She ran for and won election for the US House in 2012, where her voting record reflected some centrist bona fides. He used that liberal approach to get elected to the Senate in 2018, ending a losing streak for Democrats statewide.
Sinema was a decisive vote during Biden’s first two years in the 50-50 Senate, using her influence to oppose and defeat single-handed provisions like his signature Inflation Reduction Act and tax rate increases on corporations and the wealthy. . A provision intended to lower prescription drug prices. She was at the center of several successful bipartisan negotiations, including on infrastructure and gun safety.
Sinema left her party to become an independent in 2022, while still helping Democrats retain control of the Senate. It came after an irreparable rift between Sinema and Arizona Democrats after she stood in the way of some legislation proposed by Biden and voted to block Democratic efforts to undo the Senate filibuster to advance voting-rights legislation. did.
Previous prominent allies, such as EMILY’s List, said they would no longer support Sinema, and there was even talk of Gallego challenging him in the Democratic primary. She announced in December 2022 that she would leave the Democratic Party and become an independent, but Sinema did not say whether she would run for re-election.
Sinema’s influence has waned since Republicans took control of the House and Democrats gained one seat in the Senate in 2023. The Arizona senator negotiated a border security deal with Democrats and Republicans earlier this year, but Republicans blocked it.
“What I’ve demonstrated in my five years in the United States Senate is that I have the ability to bring together different interests and groups, find common ground, and come up with bipartisan solutions,” Sinema told NBC News in December. “There is a proven track record of moving forward.” Border bill in the midst of talks.
And as she often did, she shrugged off a question about her re-election plans as a farce compared to her legislative work: “I’m 100% focused on delivering real results,” Sinema added.
Arizona’s inclination toward becoming a purple state was confirmed in 2020, when Biden turned the state against then-President Donald Trump. In 2022, Arizona’s other senator, Democrat Mark Kelly, won his re-election race by 5 percentage points, but in another statewide race, now-Gov. Democrat Katie Hobbs defeated Lake by less than 1 point.
Other key 2024 battleground races include Democratic Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, both of whom are running for re-election, while Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in West Virginia is not running for a second term.
