Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced on Super Tuesday that she will not seek re-election.
The move from Sinema, an Arizonian who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in 2022, leaves the race narrowed between Republican candidate Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego.
“Our democracy was weakened by government dysfunction and the constant pull to the extremes by both political parties,” Sinema said in a video announcement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I promised I would do my best to fix it.”
She added: “The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic – attacking your opponents on cable news or social media. Compromise is a dirty word. We’ve arrived at that crossroad, and we chose anger and division. I believe in my approach. But, it’s not what America wants right now.”
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines, R– Mont., weighed in on Sinema’s decision, saying an open Senate seat “creates a unique opportunity for Republicans to build a lasting Senate majority this November.”
“With recent polling showing Kyrsten Sinema pulling far more Republican voters than Democrat voters, her decision to retire improves Kari Lake’s opportunity to flip this seat,” he said.
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In November, the NRSC launched attacks against Sinema, accusing her of voting “with President Biden’s agenda 100% of the time” in a campaign ad.
The 30-second ad video came as early internal NRSC polling showed Sinema was drawing support from more Republican voters than Democratic voters, according to a source familiar with NRSC strategy at the time.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
