Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Leaves Democratic Party to Become Independent: 'Right for the Country'

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is formally leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent, four years after positioning herself as one of Senate's biggest disruptors.

In a Friday morning op-ed written for The Arizona Republic, Sinema explained her decision, arguing, "There's a disconnect between what everyday Americans want and deserve from our politics, and what political parties are offering."

Though she'll no longer be a Democrat, she doesn't expect her decision to make a drastic difference on a practical level. She plans to keep the committee assignments Senate Democrats have given her, and asserts that her new affiliation is intended to reflect how she's "never really fit into a box of any political party," according to Politico.

"Nothing will change about my values or my behavior," the senior Arizona senator, 46, told the outlet.

Sinema will now become one of only three independent U.S. senators, joining Vermont's Bernie Sanders and Maine's Angus King, both of whom also caucus with the left and contribute to the Democratic Party's majority.

She will be less of a Democratic ally than Sanders and King, who routinely vote blue, and could feel empowered with her newly unaffiliated status to side with Republicans more often. She has already begun building a relationship with GOP Sen.-elect Katie Stitt of Alabama, and openly touts her friendship with Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy.

"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," she wrote for the Republic. "My approach is rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties. It is also an approach that has delivered lasting results for Arizona."

The White House was informed of Sinema's intent to leave the president's party on Thursday afternoon, NBC News reports. An administration official told the network's White House correspondent that they don't believe her decision "changes much except her reelection path." (If she runs for reelection in 2024, she will no longer have to fear losing a Democratic primary, but will have a more difficult time competing with the funding going to major party candidates.)

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