Kyrsten Sinema Leaves the Democratic Party

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) “is changing her party affiliation to independent, delivering a jolt to Democrats’ narrow majority and Washington along with it,” Politico reports.

Sinema said “that she will not caucus with Republicans and suggested that she intends to vote the same way she has for four years in the Senate.”

“Provided that Sinema sticks to that vow, Democrats will still have a workable Senate majority in the next Congress, though it will not exactly be the neat and tidy 51 seats they assumed. They’re expected to also have the votes to control Senate committees.”

Punchbowl News: “Sinema’s decision leaves Democrats in charge of the Senate but by a less comfortable margin than they hoped. Of course, Sinema more frequently sides with Democrats including on key nominations. But her leaving the Democratic Party gives Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) outsized sway once again.”

Sinema explains her switch in a video and in the Arizona Republic.