Sen. Sinema (D-AZ)’s Party Switch

Sen. Sinema (D-AZ)'s decision to leave the Democratic Party and register as an independent is unlikely to upend the political equilibrium in the Senate. The senator plans to continue with committee assignments through the Democratic caucus, though she will not join the party for its weekly lunch where policy and strategy are often discussed.  Majority Leader Schumer said Sinema's action will not lead to a continuation of the restrictions of a 50-50 Senate.  In an interview, Sinema said, “I know this is really hard for lots of folks, especially in DC, but what’s important to me is to not be tethered by the partisanship that dominates politics today. I think Americans are tired of it. I think Arizonans are tired of it. What I’m interested in is working on all those issues...that I care deeply about and that I believe my constituents care deeply about, but I want to work on them in a way that is productive, that is free from the trappings of the pull of the political system.... I want to get back to actually just working on the issues, working together to try to solve these challenges.”