Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is sharing her plans for her future with the Democratic Party.
In a series of tweets early Friday, Sinema wrote, “In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent.”
“Over the past four years, I’ve worked proudly with other Senators in both parties and forged consensus on successful laws helping everyday Arizonans build better lives for themselves and their families,” she continued.
The senator went on to explain to register as an independent “won’t change my work in the Senate.”
In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/jUQHAeuxym
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022
Becoming an Independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same. Read my full Op-ed in the Arizona Republic 3/3 ⬇️https://t.co/P2JQXFT5IJ
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022
Sinema’s decision to leave the party comes after Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) won the run-off election on Tuesday.
Warnock’s win after the midterm elections means Democrats will have an expanded 51-49 seat majority.
A senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration told NBC News that Sinema will continue to caucus with Democrats like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine).
“[We] don’t really think it changes much except her re-election path,” the official told NBC.
Her announcement comes after she declined to fly with Biden on Air Force One earlier this week to Arizona.
In an op-ed published by The Arizona Republican, Sinema wrote, “Pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges, allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”
“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she continued. “Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating.”