Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has made the momentous decision to leave the Democratic party and change her affiliation to independent after decrying the stranglehold extremists have on both major parties.
This drastic move could potentially harm Democrats, as it likely weakens their hold on the upper chamber.
At this time, Sinema has not indicated whether she will continue caucus with Democrat, however she made the announcement of her departure just days after Dems had won a critical Senate runoff in Georgia.
Sinema wrote, “Everyday Americans are increasingly left behind by national parties’ rigid partisanship, which has hardened in recent years. 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.”
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. 2/3
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022
In her column, Sinema stated that both parties focus far too much on their extreme wings and express more interest in stymying the other’s agenda, rather than working for the hard working Americans that elected them.
She added that both have failed to demonstrate “much tolerance for diversity of thought” and that “payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating.”
“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. Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating,” she wrote.
Sinema assured that “nothing will change about my values or my behavior.”
Sinema wrote, “I promised I would never bend to party pressure, and I would stay focused on solving problems and getting things done for everyday Arizonans. My approach is rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties.”
