Arizona Sen. Kristen Cinema announced on Friday that she was leaving the Democratic Party and changing her registration to independent after four years of being elected. The move received a lot of attention on social media.
The announcement comes just days after the Democratic Senate. Rafael Warnock defeated Republican candidate Herschel Walker The midterm elections were held in Georgia’s runoff, with Democrats winning a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Even with the cinema move, the Democrats will retain control of the Senate, albeit very narrowly (with his two other independents, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine). , a caucus with the Democrats.)
Cinema, who has come out as the first bisexual elected to the Senate, announced the news. Video posted on Twittersaid she was battling a “broken partisan system” and said that registering as an independent not only reflected who she had always been, but “reflected who Arizona was.”
and Editorial published in the Arizona Republic on FridayCinema said she [her] Independence from Washington’s crumbling partisan system. ”
Cinema said in an interview that her decision “makes a lot of sense” CNN‘s Jake Tupper added, “It never quite fits in a party box.”
“I never really tried,” she said. “I do not want to do it”
While she was no longer registered as a Democrat, Cinema said she expects to maintain committee quotas (She currently serves on three Senate committees and chairs two subcommittees).she also said Politico She said she would not attend the Republican caucus, but did not say if she would join the Democrats.
The senator faces re-election in 2024, but her announcement did not say whether she will run again.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN She didn’t believe the cinema move would have much of an impact on the Senate.
“Cinema has always had an independent streak. I don’t think I’m saying anything amazing,” Klobuchar said. “I doubt this will shake things up like everyone thinks.”
Over the past four years, cinema has voted Republican on taxes and Democrats on issues like LGBTQ rights, infrastructure and gun control.
Earlier this year, cinema criticized by the Arizona Democratic Party After she refused to vote alongside Democrats to change the Senate’s filibuster rules to pass the Voting Rights Act.
She also last year angry democrat By voting against the $15 federal minimum wage bill introduced as an add-on to the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
People took to social media to post their reactions to the social media news after Cinema’s announcement on Friday, and it’s fair to say that most people weren’t shocked.
