Kyrsten Sinema Plans to Depart from the Democratic Party
On Friday, Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced that she would leave the Democratic Party and become independent.
This decision has shaken the divided party, just days after Democrats gained a more significant majority in the Senate.
In an op-ed published in The Arizona Republic, Senator Kyrsten Sinema wrote: "I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington."
She has faced backlash from within the Democratic Party for opposing critical elements of its agenda and was expected to face a re-election challenge in 2024.
Despite her decision to become independent, she will need to maintain some connections with the Democratic Party to keep her committee seats and other benefits.
This is because the party will still hold a majority in the Senate without her.
On Thursday, Senator Kyrsten Sinema informed Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and majority leader, of her plans to become an independent, according to a Senate Democratic aide who spoke on anonymity.
The aide also said that Sinema would keep her committee positions through the Democratic Party, allowing the party to maintain a one-seat advantage on the panels next year.
This will give them more control over nominations and legislation.
Despite her assurances that her decision to become an independent will not affect her work in the Senate, Senator Kyrsten Sinema's switch is likely to cause new complications for Democrats, particularly for Senator Chuck Schumer and the party's leadership.
This is especially true since Democrats were recently celebrating their 51st seat in the Senate with the victory of Senator Rafael Warnock in Georgia.
Sinema's move may cause further divisions within the party.