Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who famously switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in 2022, has announced that she will not seek re-election. The surprising move came on Super Tuesday and has narrowed the race to Republican candidate Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego.
In a video announcement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sinema criticized the dysfunction and extreme polarization in government that she believes has weakened democracy. “Our democracy was weakened by government dysfunction and the constant pull to the extremes by both political parties,” Sinema said. “I promised I would do my best to fix it.”
Sinema expressed her disappointment with the current state of politics, where symbolic victories and attacking opponents on cable news or social media have taken precedence over compromise. “The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic – attacking your opponents on cable news or social media. Compromise is a dirty word. We’ve arrived at that crossroad, and we chose anger and division. I believe in my approach. But, it’s not what America wants right now,” she added.
The announcement of Sinema’s retirement has created a unique opportunity for Republicans to strengthen their Senate majority. National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines, R–Mont., believes that Sinema’s decision improves Kari Lake’s chances of flipping the seat. Recent polling has shown that Sinema was drawing more support from Republican voters than Democratic voters.
In November, the NRSC launched attacks against Sinema, accusing her of voting in line with President Biden’s agenda 100% of the time. These attacks were strategically timed as internal polling revealed Sinema’s appeal to Republican voters.
This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Jamie Joseph, a writer who specializes in political coverage, will continue to report on the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail and provide exclusive interviews and analysis.
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