WASHINGTON — Decrying partisan divisions, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said Friday she is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent in Arizona, where she is up for reelection in 2024 and already faced a movement to replace her as the party’s nominee.
“Americans are more united than the national parties would have us believe,” she wrote in an op-ed published in the Arizona Republic. “Arizonans — including many registered as Democrats or Republicans — are eager for leaders who focus on common-sense solutions rather than party doctrine.”
The move comes three days after Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia won a runoff election that gave Democrats a 51-seat majority — including independents Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine — in the 118th Congress, which starts on Jan. 3. The election also saw Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski win as a Republican despite an aggressive campaign against her led by former President Donald Trump.
