(CN) — Independent U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema will not run for reelection in November, she announced Tuesday.
Sinema was elected to represent Arizona in Congress as a Democrat in 2018, but registered as an independent in December 2022, calling Washington a “broken partisan system.” While the move shocked many, its impact on her political brand proved larger than the impact on the Senate’s dynamics.
Just over a year later, Sinema has closed the door on a potential three-way race for her soon-to-be-open seat in the Senate. She blamed political partisanship for her departure, announcing her decision on Super Tuesday.
“We’ve arrived at the crossroad, and we chose anger and division,” Sinema said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter. “I believe in my approach, but it's not what America wants right now."
“I love Arizona, and I’m so proud of what we delivered," she continued. "Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get stuff done, I will be leaving the Senate at the end of this year.”
Sinema lamented the ever-shrinking bipartisanship in government while touting bipartisan efforts she participated in to deliver for Arizona and the nation, including advocating for the CHIPS and Science Act; protecting marriage and religious freedoms, fighting for lower taxes; and negotiating smaller cuts to Arizona’s share of Colorado River water in a time of historic drought.
“These solutions matter,” she said. “They make an impact on the lives of everyday Americans. And this is how the government should work.”
In her time as a senator, Sinema was censured by Democrats for siding with Republicans to support the filibuster — ending Democrats’ hopes for major voting rights legislation — and voted against extending the Child Tax Credit. She also went viral for her emphatic thumbs down to a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as part of a Covid-19 relief package.
Sinema never officially announced a 2024 run, but many expected her to vie for the open seat alongside Democrat U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego and MAGA Republican Kari Lake, a former FOX 10 Phoenix news anchor who’s spent the past 15 months pushing unproven election fraud claims and insisting she is the rightful governor of Arizona.
“We may not agree on everything, but I know she shares my love for Arizona. Senator Sinema had the courage to stand tall against the far left in defense of the filibuster — despite the overwhelming pressure from the radicals in her party like Ruben Gallego who called on her to burn it all down," Lake said in an emailed statement.
Lake took the opportunity to take shots at Gallego, calling him a “radical departure” from Arizona’s historic representation, accusing him of siding with President Joe Biden, calling to defund the police and supporting sanctuary cities. “Arizonans will not be fooled by Gallego,” Lake wrote. “I will be a voice for all Arizonans.”
Gallego didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs thanked Sinema for her service to Arizona.
“She has been an important partner in Washington, D.C. who has fought to bring critical advanced manufacturing investments to Arizona, secure our border, and invest in our state’s roads, bridges, and broadband infrastructure,” Hobbs said in an emailed statement. “I wish her well in her future endeavors and look forward to seeing what her next chapter has in store.”
By declaring as an independent in 2022, Sinema joined a small but influential circle of independent senators more closely aligned with the Democrats, alongside Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. She’s maintained since her shift that her politics have remained the same.
It’s unclear where Sinema will go next.
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