(LibertyInsider.org) – Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has revealed that she will not seek re-election for another term this upcoming November. Her early decision to step aside leaves both Democratic and Republican contenders plenty of time to campaign for votes and compete for her seat in one of America’s most critical swing states.
Sinema announced her departure in a video first shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 5. The former Democrat, who changed her affiliation to independent two years ago, celebrated her successes in office but also expressed misgivings over the increasingly hostile and divisive political landscape in Arizona and throughout the US.
“Americans still [opt] to retreat farther into their partisan corners,” she noted, despite her commitment to “civility, understanding, listening, [and] working together.” Admitting that her personal brand of politics just doesn’t seem to be “what America wants right now,” she confirmed her intention to depart the Senate at the end of 2024.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent, announces she will not run for reelection. https://t.co/CpAfooAzrE
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 5, 2024
Sinema’s decision to step out of the race comes in the wake of a long string of struggles that began with her decision to leave the Democratic Party in 2021, which distanced her from the party she so often caucused with. By positioning herself as a moderate independent, she sought to unify her colleagues and constituents behind a more centrist approach. This strategic repositioning ultimately backfired, instead drawing criticism from both parties.
Reactions to Sinema’s political maneuvering varied dramatically. While some applauded her moderate approach, others expressed confusion over what they saw as a failure to implement clear political strategies or core beliefs.
Others still saw her in an even harsher light. In 2021, the Daily Beast spoke to a number of Sinema’s colleagues and at least one individual who claimed to be her close friend. More than one of the anonymous individuals accused her of burning bridges and prioritizing her own political interests over party loyalty.
Former Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Grodsky, who also spoke to the news outlet, wondered how Sinema would manage to fix the growing chasm her change of affiliation caused between the senator and her Arizona supporters. He also questioned whether she would even want to do that.
Now, three years later, Sinema has apparently decided to burn another bridge: the one leading to her seat on the Senate floor. Exactly which party will benefit from her departure, however, isn’t clear just yet.
Copyright 2024, LibertyInsider.org
