Democrat Sinema will not base Senate campaign on Trump attacks
Nov 30, 2017, 2:04 PM
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(Screenshot)
PHOENIX — Democratic U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema will not base her upcoming Arizona Senate campaign on attacking President Donald Trump.
Instead, Sinema told USA Today that she will promote herself as a candidate willing to reach across the aisle and work with the Republican leader.
She also said she does not think Trump is “part of what I think my constituents are worried about or think about.”
“It’s not about a party; it never is about party. It’s about putting people ahead of party. I don’t think party matters much to people,” Sinema said.
Sinema, along with a group of other lawmakers, met with Trump earlier this year without party leaders present. At the time, she said she did not go into the 80-minute meeting expecting to make a deal on anything, but instead wanted to lay the framework for further talks.
“Here’s the bottom line guys: This is not rocket science” she told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac & Gaydos after the meeting.
“If you want to pass big-ticket items like tax reform, immigration reform or health care, you actually have to do it in a bipartisan way because the votes do not exist to do it with one party only.”
Sinema was considered the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for the seat held by Jeff Flake, a Republican. She had raised $4 million for her campaign as of last month.
Should she win, Sinema will likely face either former state Sen. Kelli Ward or U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in next November’s general election, though the latter has not officially entered the race.
