Kyrsten Sinema switches from Democrat to independent: Here's what it means for the Senate
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON-Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema threw some cold water on Senate Democrats' celebration of a new 51-49 majority, leaving the party Friday and registering as an independent.
On one hand, it seems as though not much will change. She told Politico she will not caucus with Republicans and told CNN she will keep her committee assignments.
"Becoming an independent won't change my work in the Senate," she told in the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY network.
Sinema would not say on CNN whether she would join the ranks of independent Sens. Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont who caucus with Democrats.
But in keeping her committee assignments, she indicated her party switch to independent won't change the balance of power much - other than giving more political power to herself and swing Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
On the other hand, it shakes up Washington and weakens Senate Democrats' newly acquired outright majority.
Sinema explains: 'I promised Arizonans something different': Sinema on registering as an independent
What Sinema's decision means
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., flanked by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., left, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks to reporters following Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022.
Sinema acted independently as a Democrat, and her party switch makes formal what has been a feature of her time in the Senate since 2019.
For example, she has voted with Republicans on taxes and with Democrats on LGBTQ rights, gun control, infrastructure, Trump impeachments, efforts to mitigate COVID and inflation and more.
A day before announcing she had switched her party affiliation to independent, she cheered the passage of her bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act in the House and advancement to President Joe Biden's desk.
"We're one step closer to our bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act securing into law marriage and religious protections for all Americans," she said in a statement Thursday. "I look forward to seeing it signed into law by the President to bring certainty and peace of mind to countless loving marriages."
Her statement also noted how, in 2006 as a state representative, Sinema led the effort to defeat Proposition 107, which would have banned same-sex marriages in Arizona.
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Sinema's switch to independent comes decades after she started in politics with the Arizona Green Party and has voted as a progressive through much of her career.
The 2024 election question
Before switching her party affiliation to independent, she faced a potential primary challenge from Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat who told MSNBC last month that Sinema "did nothing" to help Democratic candidates in midterm elections.
Earlier in the cycle, he was fundraising off the possibility of running against her, according to the Arizona Republic.
Sinema's critics called the Friday announcement a sign she will not seek re-election.
The "Primary Sinema" political action committee issued a scathing statement:
"Today, Kyrsten Sinema told us what we've already known for years: she's not a Democrat, and she's simply out for herself. For the last year, we've been laying the groundwork to defeat Kyrsten Sinema because Arizonans deserve a Senator who cares about them, and not special interests. In one way, Sinema just made our jobs easier by bowing out of a Democratic primary she knew she couldn't win. Now, we'll beat her in the general election with a real Democrat."
Sinema has drawn ire from some Democrats during Biden's term when her centrist positions have held up or blocked his agenda, including her unwillingness to end the filibuster.
She wouldn't tell CNN or Politico whether she's running for reelection.
What does it mean for Senate majority?
Sinema's switch marks the first time a U.S. senator has switched parties since April 2009 when late Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched from Republican to Democrat, claiming the GOP had moved too far to the right. Specter lost in the 2010 Democratic primary.
The move comes days after an exuberant Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said his Democratic Party's new 51-49 majority in the Senate would make it "a lot quicker, swifter and easier" to get things done in the upper chamber.
A confident Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on CNN Friday morning it doesn't take away the victory Democrats have in the Senate majority.
"She's going to continue to work with us," Klobuchar said. "I don't think it's going to greatly change the way the Senate is working right now."
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Oh well!
Smart move. Be your own person party be damned. Kudos
I think she just became the key Senator.
Then there is this possibility!.....
"By opting out of the party, Sinema can sidestep that and force Democrats to decide whether they want to endorse her to prevent a general-election split, or fight her in November 2024 and hand the seat to the GOP"
Yes, that is why Sinema had to do what she did.
"Manchin faces the crisis of being in a state at the other end of the spectrum."
Right again! Manchin really has a different decision: Either become a Republican or this will be his last term in the Senate.
Very good article, Sir.
So technically there are 48 democrats, 49 republicans and 3 independents, tell us how democrats have a mandate?
It's going to be an interesting few years.
Wondering what the over/under will be in money spent by the DNC against her in 24?
It's going to be a tough Senate map for democrats in 2024, especially if Trump is in exile.
Let's hear your predictions. Your accuracy is always stellar. (smile).
Is another bigly red wave coming? My rubber duck loves those quirky quacking qualms.
Oh such interest in little old Vic!
Just for you:
Sam Bankman-Fried will not be held accountable for the fraud he perpetrated.
Paul Whelan will not be released while Biden is president.
The person who called white Cubans "hateful" will not face any repercussions.
I was also wrong about Trump losing in 2016 and Trump winning in 2020. Yup, even I can be wrong.
My rubber duck loves those quirky quacking qualms.
I though you and your little ducky had left weeks ago over as you called it "the final straw."
I need to moderate my question. If Sinema does caucus with the Democrats, what will the DNC do in 24. Will they run a high-quality (?) candidate against her, pumping money into the election and risk splitting the Democrat votes thus giving the Senate seat to the Republicans or do they run a low-quality extremist candidate to lose to Sinema while pumping money into her campaign to protect their seat in the Senate?
I think Arizona just got more interesting...
I've not heard of anyone saying the Dems have a mandate, but it most certainly has to be bigger than the red wave.
In the House races, Repub candidates received 50.6% and Dem's 47.8% or 222 of the 435 House seats to the 213, or 51% to 49%. A vote margin of 2.8 percentage points became a seat margin of 2.1 percentage points. No mandate for either side.
In a few hours no one will care about this. Her leaving is meaningless.
urs no one will care about this. Her leaving is meaningless.
That is, of course, how the loyal media will play it. Note it and ignore it.
If a Republican was chased out of the party for not unthinkingly complying with the far right's wishes at all times, it would be the story of the week, with hundreds of think pieces about how the extremists have captured the party and there is no room for any independence in the party. There'd be so much speculating on how it means the end of the Republican party, the end of the republic etc etc..
But she's a democrat harassed by other democrats, so it's not the type of news the MSM cares about.
Like it or not, FOX is a card carrying member of the 'MSM' and they are all over it as is MSNBC ... the coyotes on all sides are howling.
sounds like sour grapes because Democrats thought she and Manchin wouldn't hold as much power.
tough break, Democrats
lol
That's the dumbest comment of the week. Consider this scenario(s)..
It certainly is not to the people of Arizona, but you wouldn't know about that would you?
She was run out of the party (and followed into the bathroom) for not blindly following the party.
She disagrees with her party as much as the average Republican Senator. Democrats do not think for themselves.
Unlike MAGA.
Why do facts bother you so much?
Here's a ranking by pro-publica of how often Sentors vote against their party.
Joe Manchin votes with Democrats 92% of the time. With Sinema gone, every other Democrat is above 97.5%. By contrast the most consistent Republican, James Inhofe, only votes with the party 96% of the time. Susan Collins is the most independent member of the Senate. She split her vote pretty much down the middle.
I guess that explains Fetterman. A well trained dog can press the button he's told to, and that's really all democratic Senators are.
Thanks for the link.
Leftists like to claim that Republicans vote completely along party lines. But it is Republicans that vote against their own party far more often.
Democrats are the barking seals of the political world. Give them a fish and they will blown the needed horn however the party demands.
Lisa Murkowski votes against the party 43.1% of the time? This is who Mitch McConnell so desperately wanted to win reelection? Great Mitch, just great.
And he won't pee on the carpet, something i'm not sure Fetterman can accomplish.
It's not the facts so much as having to admit they were wrong. Some people just can't bring themselves do that.
It's the hive mentality. Honestly I don't think many democrats (or their followers) CAN think for themselves.
All political parties rely upon it and none are immune from exploiting it. Your comment is no better than some 4 legs 2 legs missive uttered by Leon 'Snowball' Trotsky.
Your humor is lost on the conservatives. Many of them think Trotsky is what happens after they eat too much chili.
I tend to only quote from books they claim to have read and understood ... it's all so Godot waiting for John Galt.
Are you trying to change my mind? If you are, you may want to try a different tactic. This one failed.
No, I'm trying to get you to either change your underwear or to at least wear them in the shower. Attempting to change a partisan mindset is akin to an Einstein 'quote' that he never said.
GOP should be so gleeful about Sinema's latests move. No way in heck is she ever going to support forced birth.
A lot of voters in Arizona are wondering what took her so long?