Senator Kyrsten Sinema Is No Longer a Democrat
(CNN) -- Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a political independent, she told CNN's Jake Tapper in an exclusive TV interview."I've registered as an Arizona independent.
I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense," Sinema said in a Thursday interview with Tapper in her Senate office."I've never fit neatly into any party box.
I've never really tried. I don't want to," she added. "Removing myself from the partisan structure -- not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it'll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country, who also are tired of the partisanship."Sinema's move away from the Democratic Party is unlikely to change the power balance in the next Senate.
Democrats will have a narrow 51-49 majority that includes two independents who caucus with them: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.While Sanders and King formally caucus with Democrats, Sinema declined to explicitly say that she would do the same.
