A Senator from Arizona has changed her party association from Democratic to Independent, in what is the latest in post-election federal legislative shake-ups.
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced her change Friday morning in a piece written for the Arizona Republic.
Sinema said, “Everyday Americans are increasingly left behind by national parties’ rigid partisanship, which has hardened in recent years. Pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges, allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”
Over the past four years, I’ve worked proudly with other Senators in both parties and forged consensus on successful laws helping everyday Arizonans build better lives for themselves and their families. 2/3
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022
Sinema admitted she has been personally conflicted operating in today’s ultra-partisan political environments. In her column, she noted how both mainstream parties (Republican and Democrat) often bow to the demands of their extreme fringes, which can lead to the will of the constituents being overlooked.
She said, “In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress. Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating.”
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday, Sinema said, “I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to. Removing myself from the partisan structure – not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country, who also are tired of the partisanship.”
