I speculated that one or two Senators might go independent after the recent election, and it appears that I was right.
Except for the who part. From azcentral:
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said Friday she is leaving the Democratic Party and will formally become an independent in a move that more fully places her at the center of a narrowly divided chamber.
She announced her decision in an opinion piece published Friday in The Arizona Republic.
“I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington,” she wrote.
Sinema maintained she doesn’t plan to change her voting habits: often aligning with Democrats but backing Republicans on certain issues. And she won’t dispense with the legislative filibuster that has led many Democrats to call for her to face a primary challenge in 2024.
And so much for a primary challenge. As many have pointed out, her desire to be reelected may be at the center of this strategic move, and if she does choose to run again, it’ll place the Democrats in a quandary: endorse Sinema, which will infuriate progressives, or run a Democrat and risk handing the seat back to the Republicans?
Her term ends January of 2025.
I wonder if she believes she’s working for the forces of moderation and reconciliation. If so, the radicals of the Republican Party hardly seem likely to meet her halfway. No, I see this as a tactical move to improve her reelection chances.
And I don’t really expect her to be joined by Republican Senators Murkowski and Collins.
