The Arizona senator is changing her political affiliation to independent.
ARIZONA, USA — Editor’s note: The above video aired in Jan. 2022.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema will no longer be a representative for the Democratic Party, announcing early Friday morning she has registered as an independent.
“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,” Sinema said in a statement to 12News.
She made the announcement in an op-ed Friday morning with AZCentral and an interview with Politico.
Sinema told Politico that she will not caucus with Republicans and said “nothing will change about my values or my behavior.” Her independent registration could alter the way the Democrats are able to use their newly-won 51-seat Senate majority.
Elected as a Democrat in 2018, the former liberal activist turned centrist member of Congress made the announcement amid years of inter-party conflict.
Sinema’s opposition to reforming the Senate’s filibuster rule led to an Arizona Democratic Party censure. Democrats in Congress have previously called her out for not explaining her opposition to the House’s “social infrastructure” proposals and for not doing enough to protect reproductive access.
“As a party, our job is to support our Democratic candidates, and we appreciate Senator Sinema’s leadership in passing the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Sen. Raquel Teran of west Phoenix previously said. “However, we are also here to advocate for our constituents and the ramifications of failing to pass federal legislation that protects their right to vote are too large and far-reaching.”
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The now-former Democrat has previously said her hero is the “straight talker” late Sen. John McCain, but has also received criticism for not talking to constituents, advocacy groups or the media.
Sinema was also named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022, after she was nominated by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Here’s a look at some of the major votes Sinema pushed for during 2021:
This is a developing story. Tune in to 12News for the latest information.
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