Kyrsten Sinema dodges question on whether she will run again in 2024

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Dodges Questions About Reelection

Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has been fundraising as if she plans to jump into the 2024 fray, but she has been tight-lipped about her future electoral plans. When asked about seeking reelection, Sinema dodged the question and declined to lay down a hard time frame for making a decision.

Sinema’s Not-Yet-Launched 2024 Campaign Taking Donations as if She’s Running

Sinema’s campaign has been taking donations as if she’s running for reelection, but she has not confirmed her candidacy. When asked about her career plans if she doesn’t serve a second term, Sinema replied, “Yeah, not really thinking about that.”

Since her rise to the Senate after the 2018 elections, Sinema has emerged as something of an outsider, no stranger to breaking ranks with the Democratic Party. She helped torpedo multiple iterations of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda before coming on board with the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act. This drew rage from progressives, particularly given that her colleague, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), has managed to survive electorally with more liberal positions. She switched her party affiliation to independent late last year. Polling indicates that Sinema’s approval is underwater across the board.

Challengers on Both Sides

Sinema faces a number of challenges in what could shape up to be a heated three-way battle. From the left, her top declared challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who touted a roughly $3.7 million haul last quarter, eclipsing her fundraising pull. On the right, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb has already announced his campaign, and there have been murmurs about former gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake entering the race. Still, Sinema has a considerable war chest at her disposal should she decide to run.

Arizona a Key State for Republicans

Arizona is one of a handful of competitive states Republicans have been eyeing in their quest to recapture the upper chamber. This coming cycle, Republicans will only have to defend 11 seats, while Democrats have to hold 23, including three occupied by Democratic-aligned independent senators.

• Sinema has shown a penchant for being quiet about her legislative work and political aspirations.
• At the beginning of her career, she was a progressive activist and member of the Green Party but has since lurched to the center and shown a fondness for bipartisan collaboration.
• Others, such as former Senate hopeful Blake Masters and Karrin Taylor Robson, have also been floated as possible contenders.

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