Kyrsten Sinema announces she will not run for reelection, ending months of speculation

WASHINGTON – Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., announced she will not run for reelection Tuesday afternoon, ending months of speculation she would enter the Arizona Senate race and cause a messy three-way election.

“Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get stuff done,” Sinema said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I will leave the Senate at the end of this year."

Sinema blamed the increased polarization in Congress for why she was leaving the Senate. The Arizona Independent, who was formerly a Democrat, often drew the ire of her Democratic colleagues for blocking key party priorities such as President Joe Biden's expansive Build Back Better plan that would have significantly overhauled social safety programs and heavily invested in infrastructure.

"I believe in my approach. But it's not what America wants right now," Sinema said in her announcement.

Sinema's centrist views caused her to be viewed as a dealmaker in the upper chamber. After Sinema, along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a centrist who is also retiring, sinked Biden's Build Back Better plan, the Senate still passed the Inflation Reduction Act which included some priorities from the failed initiative.

Sinema touted bipartisan legislation in her announcement video, including the bipartisan infrastructure law and CHIPS and Science Act. Most recently, Sinema was part of a small group of bipartisan Senate negotiators which released a sweeping emergency foreign aid deal that would have significantly overhauled border and migrant policy.

Sinema's decision is likely good news for Democrats who hope to retain control of the Senate. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and conservative hardliner Kari Lake are the leading Democratic and Republican candidates respectively for Sinema's seat which is up for reelection this year.

If Sinema opted to run for reelection, Arizona would have seen a messy and unprecedented three-way race between her, Gallego and Lake.

"I want to thank Senator Sinema for her nearly two decades of service to our state," Gallego said in a statement following Sinema's announcement, adding he hopes Sinema will join him to reject "Kari Lake and her dangerous positions."

"Senator Sinema had the courage to stand tall against the Far-Left," Lake said in a post on X. "Arizonans will not be fooled by Gallego. I will be a voice for ALL Arizonans. I wish Senator Sinema the best in her next chapter."

This is a breaking story and will be updated with developments.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyrsten Sinema says she will not run for reelection