ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema won’t seek reelection for US Senate seat

Mar 5, 2024, 12:27 PM | Updated: 1:27 pm

Kyrsten Sinema announced she would not run for reelection in the U.S. Senate on March 5, 2024. (Pho...

Kyrsten Sinema announced she would not run for reelection in the U.S. Senate on March 5, 2024. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema announced Tuesday she will not run for reelection for U.S. Senate, clearing the way for a likely two-way race between Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake.

Sinema, in a statement, said she would not run again because her political approach “is not what America wants right now.”

Sinema, Arizona’s senior senator and the first female to hold the position, has served in the role since 2019.

“I love Arizona and I am so proud of what we’ve delivered,” Sinema said. “Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get stuff done, I will leave the Senate at the end of this year.”

What did Sinema do while in the U.S. Senate?

Sinema’s willingness to work across party lines and target centrist voters, independents and Republican women helped her defeat Martha McSally.

She also focused on health care, education and veterans issues since taking office.

Most recently, she spearheaded a comprehensive border enforcement bill that was eventually killed by Senate Republicans.

“The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic, attacking your opponents on cable news or social media,” Sinema said.

“Compromise is a dirty word. We’ve arrived at that crossroad, and we chose anger and division.”

Sinema switched party affiliations from Democrat to Independent in December 2022. She said at the time that she has worked with both parties but that, “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been.”

“And it’s a reflection of who Arizona is,” Sinema said.

What’s next for Arizona’s U.S. Senate race now that Sinema isn’t running?

Lake, who lost the Arizona gubernatorial race in 2022, is the expected GOP candidate in the race for U.S. Senate. Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is also running on the Republican side.

Gallego, an Arizona congressman, has announced a run on the Democratic side and seems the likely candidate for the general election.

Polling in recent weeks didn’t favor Sinema in the event she did decide to run.

When respondents were asked for their preference in a potential three-way race in a poll released by Noble Predictive Insights in February, Gallego led the way at 34%, followed by Lake at 31% and Sinema at 23%. Without Sinema, Gallego led Lake 47%-37% in that poll.

An Emerson College poll released around the same time showed similar results, with Gallego leading Lake 46%-39% in a head-to-head matchup, and a three-way race coming out at Gallego 36%, Lake 30% and Sinema 21%.

Democrats hold a 50-49-1 edge in the Senate, which would dissipate if the Republican candidate comes out victorious.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for increased state firefighter pay on Thursday during an event to ...

Kevin Stone

Arizona governor calls for pay raise for firefighters while honoring those who battled LA wildfires

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for increased state firefighter pay while honoring the task force members who helped battle the Los Angeles wildfires.

2 hours ago

free wigs...

Kevin Stone

Arizona cancer support group opening free wig salon in Phoenix

An Arizona cancer support organization is launching an initiative to provide patients and survivors experiencing hair loss with free wigs.

3 hours ago

fatal Glendale car crash killed mother car crashed into Glendale home Arizona...

Serena O'Sullivan

Suspect arrested after car crashes into house in Glendale, killing homeowner, 3 months ago

Celeste La Sean Downer, 22, was arrested on Tuesday for the fatal Glendale car crash that struck a mother of two on Nov. 10, 2024.

4 hours ago

Woman arrested in Phoenix in homicide case...

KTAR.com

77-year-old Phoenix woman released from hospital, taken to jail for allegedly killing husband

A 77-year-old woman was released from a hospital Tuesday and booked into jail for allegedly killing her husband in Phoenix last month.

5 hours ago

Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup closed its Tempe and Chandler locations....

Kevin Stone

Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup closes 2 of its 5 metro Phoenix restaurants

Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, a family-owned Valley restaurant business, has shuttered two of its five locations.

6 hours ago

A pedestrian was struck and killed on a freeway access road near downtown Phoenix Wednesday night....

Kevin Stone

Pedestrian struck and killed on freeway access road near downtown Phoenix

A pedestrian was struck and killed on a freeway access road near downtown Phoenix Wednesday night, authorities said.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema won’t seek reelection for US Senate seat