That clears the deck for what’s likely to be a fall grudge match between U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, and Republican Kari Lake.
Sinema was fast approaching an April 1 deadline to submit 42,303 voter signatures to get on the November ballot. She made her announcement Tuesday in a video statement shared on social media.
“I love Arizona, and I’m 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.
“It’s been an honor to serve Arizona for the past 20 years,” she concluded.
Sinema said her brand of politics no longer resonates as “Americans still choose to retreat farther to their partisan corners.”
“Compromise is a dirty word,” Sinema said.
A message for Arizonans from Senator Kyrsten Sinema pic.twitter.com/1XWFSWgGdh
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) March 5, 2024
Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego react to Sinema’s retirement
Lake praised Sinema for her courage and wished her well, while taking a swing at Gallego."Senator Sinema had the courage to stand tall against the Far-Left in defense of the filibuster — despite the overwhelming pressure from the radicals in her party like Ruben Gallego who called on her to burn it all down," Lake said in a social media post.
"I wish Senator Sinema the best in her next chapter," she added.
Gallego thanked Sinema for decades of public service — and took a dig at Lake.
"Arizona, we are at a crossroads," Gallego wrote. "Protecting abortion access, tackling housing affordability, securing our water supply, defending our democracy — all of this and more is on the line."
Sinema won election to the U.S. Senate in 2018 as a Democrat, becoming an independent in December 2022. She started her political career in 2005 as a state lawmaker before winning election to the U.S. House in 2012.
Sinema is the first openly bisexual person to serve in either the U.S. House or Senate and just one of two current LGBTQ+ senators.
In recent months, Sinema has faced questions about her fundraising efforts, ethics and those incessant robocalls.
