“We understand that her decision to register as an independent in Arizona does not change the Democrats’ new majority control in the Senate, and we have every reason to expect,” Jean-Pierre said. that we will continue to work with her successfully.” statement.
Other administration officials expect her change to change little in terms of their interactions with her in the coming months. One person involved in shaping the White House’s approach to working with her, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described her as tough and unruly, but noted that she ultimately backing the president by key votes, giving Biden and the Democrats a successful legislature. Recorded for promotion.
Her decision sparked a swift backlash in Arizona, where a group formed to create a preliminary campaign against her say they will now focus on ousting her in the process. general election.
“Today, Kyrsten Sinema told us what we have known for years: She is not a Democrat, and she simply lives for herself,” Primary Sinema campaign said. said in a statement. “In a way, Sinema made our job easier by pulling out of the Democratic primaries she knew she couldn’t win. Now, we’re going to beat her in the general election with a true Democrat.”
Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from Arizona and a potential candidate for Ms. Sinema’s seat, issued a statement saying: “Unfortunately, Senator Sinema has once again placed his position on the list. self-interest above getting things done for the people of Arizona.”
There is little question that the move was in Sinema’s political interests. A recent Civilqs . poll highlights her disapproval of Democrats in Arizona – only 7% approve of her – while 27% of Republicans and 29% of independents in the state have a favorable view. However, a majority of Republicans and half of independents disapproved of her.
Switching parties is not unheard of in the Senate as lawmakers see a political advantage in making such a move. After losing the 2006 Democratic primary, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut ran and won as an independent but continued to caucus with parties. Democrats have the majority. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania left the Republican Party in 2009, after joining Democrats in supporting several Obama administration initiatives, but was subsequently defeated in the primaries. of the Democratic Party.
