# Sinema leaves the Democratic party; registers as Independent (she’s not seeking re-election.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 9, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258 "2022-12-09T11:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/1 "2022-12-09T11:53:07Z")
I suppose this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Will Manchin be next? [https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/politics/kyrsten-sinema-leaves-democratic-party/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/politics/kyrsten-sinema-leaves-democratic-party/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/2 "2022-12-09T12:00:07Z")
As surprising as Gabbard. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/3 "2022-12-09T12:02:04Z")
She knows she’s going to be primaried in 2024 and she’s trying to pull an Arlen Specter. I predict it’ll go about as well for her as it did for him. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/4 "2022-12-09T12:04:12Z")
Big win for Manchin. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/5 "2022-12-09T12:25:30Z")
I can’t fathom who her base might be. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/6 "2022-12-09T12:29:35Z")
Doesn’t matter, this is essentially just a ploy for attention. Manchin is a real Democrat, and a great help to the party – there’s no chance his replacement could ever be better for the Democrats. Sinema is pretty much useless and this doesn’t change anything. As Mark Kelly has proved, we can get a good, team-playing, progressive Democrat in Arizona (unlike WV). There was almost no chance Sinema would have more than 1 term as a Senator; now it’s assured she won’t. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/7 "2022-12-09T12:38:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > she’s going to be primaried in 2024 OK, so how does a three-way race in AZ go? Normal Dem gets 33%, Synema gets 33%, and Tighty-Righty gets 33? And we sit up all night seeing how the other 1% shakes out? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/8 "2022-12-09T12:39:06Z")
Based on her comments, it sounds like she’s going to fall into the same category as Bernie Sanders and Angus King. Only time will tell if she sticks to that. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/9 "2022-12-09T12:41:40Z")
Her campaign song is already written: ♩ ♬ ♪ _…mi-mi-mi-MEEEEEEEE…_ ♩ ♪ ♫ ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/10 "2022-12-09T12:48:48Z")
Hard for me to imagine who Sinema appeals to. She voted twice to impeach Trump. And she generally tries to stymie Democrats on almost every policy. Seems to me she is trying for the mythical (and mostly fantastical) “both sides are too extreme” voter, so maybe 10%? I doubt she even runs again. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/11 "2022-12-09T12:49:26Z")
When she did her theatrical thumbs down of the minimum wage raise, I knew she was a waste of oxygen. I once read that she had presidential aspirations. She can join the other deluded Aholes like Pence and Bolton. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/12 "2022-12-09T12:51:52Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > who Sinema appeals to To somebody, for sure. Do you think she gets under 10% in a three-way? 5%? I have no immediate idea how such a race would go. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/13 "2022-12-09T12:52:52Z")
It’s a guess, but yes, I’d say 5-10%. I don’t think she really has any significant voter base, and most voters will be afraid a vote for her will just help the “other side”, and thus most voters will vote for their normal preference between the Democratic and Republican candidates. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/14 "2022-12-09T13:05:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I doubt she even runs again. She almost has to. If she was just trying to give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats the middle finger she would have just become a Republican and made some statements about fucking with them. If she was just going to retire, then I don’t see any benefit to her with this move either. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/15 "2022-12-09T13:06:45Z")
Aside from saving face in a Dem primary, does this move do anything else for her? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/16 "2022-12-09T13:08:10Z")
Apparently she will continue to caucus with the Democrats. Which means this is even more of a meaningless gesture. > > > Greg Sargent @ThePlumLineGS ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/17 "2022-12-09T13:17:54Z")
I wonder if, based on the relatively even break between Hobbs and Lake, that somehow this is about running for governor in 2026 and picking up votes from both sides. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/18 "2022-12-09T11:21:20Z")
Sinema registers as Independent, leaving Democrat Party. > ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/19 "2022-12-09T12:15:01Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Sinema registers as Independent, leaving Democrat Party. > > [https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170136781664256?t=-x7te85N2pHEp59rvQXkfw&s=19](https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170136781664256?t=-x7te85N2pHEp59rvQXkfw&s=19) I wonder how that will affect the Senate balance. Interesting she waited for the Warnock re-election to be assured. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258/20 "2022-12-09T12:26:11Z")
Sinema is a very silly person, and this is almost certainly her last term as a Senator, and maybe as any sort of office-holder. Doesn’t really change anything, and just makes it more likely we get a good Democrat in that seat in 2024. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sinema-leaves-the-democratic-party-registers-as-independent-she-s-not-seeking-re-election/976258.md?page=2)