I first heard rumors about Rep. Ruben Gallego challenging Sen. Kyrsten Sinema within small political circles in Arizona last summer. Liberal discontent for Sinema reached my ears much earlier. Years ago.
In fact, it wasn't long after Sinema became the country's first openly bisexual senator, in 2019, that local LGBTQ grassroots leaders began noticing it was getting more difficult to get Sinema to make appearances at queer events.
The community's frustration spilled over last year after she refused to end the filibuster on two voting rights bills. More than 100 LGBTQ leaders and allies in Arizona sent a joint letter to the Human Rights Campaign demanding that the national LGBTQ civil rights organization withdraw its support of Sinema. In December, Sinema quit the Democratic Party and declared herself an independent.
