Krysten Sinema: A Look into Who She is and Why She Left the Democratic Party
By Kiran Yeh
On December 9th, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced in an Op-Ed for the Arizona Independent that she would be leaving the Democratic Party. In an interview with CNN, she explained, “I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to.” However, it’s not just her politics that makes her stand out; it’s her enigmatic personality too.
In her Op-Ed, Sinema offers an explanation for her decision. She claims that she always was an independent from the start. “Like a lot of Arizonans, I have never fit perfectly in either national party,” she said. “Becoming an independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same… Arizona… is far too special a place to be defined by extreme partisans and ideologues.” She vowed to continue to support women’s choice and all LGBTQ rights, protect DACA, and work for affordable health care.
Kyrsten Sinema first began her political career in Arizona as a Green Party anti-war activist and later ran for U.S. Senate in 2018, registered as a Democrat. Even though she began her career as a far left wing candidate, her actions soon proved that she was one of the more conservative Democrats in Congress, often making it difficult for the Democratic Party to pass legislation. When the Senate was 50-50, and every single Democrat was needed to pass a bill, Sinema objected to proposals which angered liberals. When President Biden introduced the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill, Sinema made clear she would not support it until the price was reduced and insisted on multiple negotiations.
However, her departure from the Democratic Party is unlikely to change the power balance in the Senate. Democrats will still have a 51-49 majority with Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King from the Independent Party, however it is uncertain whether Sinema will continue caucusing with them too. That being said, her decision is still a small loss after the large gain of the Georgia runoff election. Whilst Democrats cheered after Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock’s victory gave them the majority, Sinema’s switch came as a significant disappointment.
When she announced that she would be leaving the Democratic Party, the news did not come as a shock to everyone. Even as a Democrat, she rarely attended the regular party meetings. “Kyrsten is independent, that’s how she’s always been,” remarked Chuck Shumer, the Senate Majority Leader.
Not only is she now a part of the Independent Party, but she is also known to be an independent person. Sinema is the first sitting member of the Senate to become an Ironman triathlete, and she explained in an interview with Triathlete that triathlons have helped her during her campaigns. “You’ve got these hills and valleys of emotion and difficulty throughout the day, but it’s your job to have the mental strength and fortitude to get through it and to stay calm and to stay focused and remember that you actually can do it.”
She is also known for selling athletic wear and various other odd paraphernalia on her Facebook Marketplace account. From cycling gear, a treadmill, and a pair of sunglasses to bikinis, a cap that reads “Do Epic Shit,” and six hundred dollar race wheels, Sinema has listed 84 of her personal belongings for anyone that wants them. One journalist for Slate refers to this as Sinema’s “side hustle.”
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Sinema is the story of her internship at Three Sticks Winery. “She really just jumped in as a student intern,” said winemaker Ryan Prichard. “She was really gung-ho.”
Journalists, politicians, critics, and supporters alike question the anomaly that is Krysten Sinema. The Atlantic calls Sinema a “Deepening Mystery,” The New York Times asks what’s wrong with her, New York Magazine asks what her deal is, and the Daily Beast asks “WTF Is Wrong With Kyrsten Sinema?” A former colleague told POLITICO, “Her decisions are based on cold hard political calculations — and a need to feed her hunger for attention, more than power even.”
At the end of the day, only Sinema herself truly knows why she made the decision to leave the Democratic Party.
Kiran Yeh is a junior and Law and Society major at Brooklyn Technical High School and a Next Gen Civic Fellow. Kiran is the Managing Editor in her school’s newspaper, The Survey, and has written for other publications previously. She has been involved in political campaigns and is most interested in writing articles regarding politics.