Kyrsten Sinema switches to Independent, diluting Democratic-led Senate

WASHINGTON - Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema on Friday registered as an independent, roiling Democrats’ plans just days after they had gained a clean 51-seat majority in the chamber. 

Ms Sinema, who has been a swing vote on key issues, suggested she would maintain her centrist voting record. 

“Becoming an independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same,” she wrote in an op-ed in the Arizona Republic. 

Ms Sinema, 46, was first elected to the Senate in 2018 to a term that expires in 2024. She didn’t mention whether she intends to run for reelection, but her willingness to buck Democratic leadership has drawn the ire of the state party, which voted to censure her in January.

Becoming an independent would let her avoid an expected fight for the Democratic nomination should she run again, though a three-way general election race likely would benefit Republicans in narrowly divided Arizona.

Her move won’t affect the overall control of the Senate next year. Her office said she intends to keep her committee assignments from the Democratic majority. She doesn’t intend to caucus with the Republicans.

“As you know, she has never and will not now attend caucus meetings” spokesperson Hannah Hurley said. 

In an interview with Politico, Ms Sinema said she did not anticipate any change to the Senate structure. 

“I intend to show up to work, do the same work that I always do. I just intend to show up to work as an independent,” she said. 

Ms Sinema notified Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about her decision on Thursday, according to a Democratic aide. Mr Schumer’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite breaks with Democrats on a few key issues, including raising corporate taxes, Ms Sinema has voted with the party 97 per cent of the time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Government. She also has been a consistent vote in favour of Mr Biden’s judicial nominees.

Her refusal to vote against the filibuster rule in order to pass gun control and voting rights legislation triggered the Arizona Democratic Party’s censure.

A political action committee dedicated to removing her, called “Primary Sinema,” said in a statement that her move confirmed that she is “simply out for herself.”

“In one way, Sinema just made our jobs easier by bowing out of a Democratic primary she knew she couldn’t win. Now, we’ll beat her in the general election with a real Democrat,” the group said in a statement.

Last month, Democrats won in key races across the once-reliably Republican state, including governor, secretary of state and Arizona’s other US Senate seat. 

With Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock’s reelection on Tuesday, Democrats secured a 51-seat majority in the Senate. That would allow them firmer control of committees than the 50-50 balance of the last two years, which Democrats controlled only through tie-breaking voted by Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The two other independents in the Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, both caucus with Democrats on matters of the chamber’s organisation and consistently vote with the party.

Ms Sinema’s announcement did not specify whether she will caucus with Democrats to give them 51 votes or leave the caucus to reduce that majority to 50 plus the vice president. BLOOMBERG