What Kyrsten Sinema's Departure Means for Arizona's Senate Election
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Tuesday, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced that she would not seek re-election. What does this mean for Arizona's Senate election?
Key Details: The 2024 Arizona Senate race is now likely to be between former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) and Representative Ruben Gallego (D). The Arizona Senate primary election is on July 30.
Key Quote: “The biggest question is, who is going to have the most convincing argument to close those independent voters? Lake has been trying to do that and trying to structure a narrative that is broader than her MAGA base — I would say that has been less than convincing with most voters,” said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime political consultant at High Ground Consulting in Phoenix.
For Context: Democrats now have a narrow majority in the U.S. Senate, so the race to replace Sinema could decide control of the chamber. The Cook Political Report considers the race a tossup.
How the Media Covered it: The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) noted that some Democratic strategists believe Sinema would have taken away votes from Gallego. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) noted that Republican strategists believe Lake will benefit, and Democratic strategists believe Gallego will benefit from Sinema's departure from the race.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
What to know about the Arizona Senate race now that Sinema is out
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) announced on Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, opting out of what would have been a contentious, three-way contest in a swing state that will be consequential for the political balance of the U.S. Senate.
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Here’s what to know about how Sinema’s decision shakes up the race.
Who is running?
Several candidates are in the race, but Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Kari Lake, a former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate and news anchor, are widely expected...
From the Center
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was done in by politics and her own ego
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced what has been obvious for a while now. She’s not running for reelection.
Sadly, I doubt there will be many around the state who will miss her.
She was the first Arizona Democrat in three decades to win a U.S. Senate seat, campaigning on a pledge to work with anybody to get stuff done.
Since then, she’s done just what she promised. She charted a middle course, in search of solutions that have bipartisan support.
Then she learned a hard lesson.
That’s not what we really want. Or...
From the Right
Sinema exit ramps up Arizona Senate race and battle for critical centrist vote
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-AZ) decision not to seek reelection to the Senate puts Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), the likely Democratic nominee, and Kari Lake, who is the front-running Republican candidate, on the fast track for a two-way race in Arizona.
Immediately following the news of Sinema’s retirement, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the leader of the GOP Senate campaign arm, declared the development would improve Lake’s opportunity to flip the seat.
Senate Republicans had been nervous about the possibility of a three-way race between Lake, Sinema, and Gallego after polling suggested Sinema could siphon away twice as many Republican...
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