Democratic Donors Abandon Kyrsten Sinema Just Like She Did the Democratic Party

Source: The Advocate

Democratic Donors Abandon Kyrsten Sinema Just Like She Did the Democratic Party

That spells trouble for the bisexual former Democrat, now independent, if she seeks reelection to the U.S. Senate. But are we surprised?

BY TRUDY RING
NOVEMBER 13 2023 9:06 PM EST

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the first out bisexual in the chamber, switched from being a Democrat to an independent late last year, and that may hurt her if she decides to run for reelection in 2024.

Sinema hasn’t formally announced that she’ll seek reelection, but she has been raising campaign funds. However, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego has announced he’s running for the Senate seat, and he’s outraised Sinema among Democratic donors, Politico reports.

Sinema, who ran as a progressive, has disappointed many of her former supporters by being cozy with corporate interests and by resisting efforts to lift the filibuster, which stands as a block to much progressive legislation. So Gallego is running as a more liberal alternative.

So far, Gallego “has raised two-and-a-half times as much from Sinema’s 2018 major donors as Sinema herself has,” according to Politico. He has received $691,000 from those donors, with Sinema bringing in $277,000. Gallego has also outraised Sinema among those who donated to Arizona’s other U.S. senator, Democrat Mark Kelly, in his campaign last year.

Sinema hasn’t made up the difference with Republican or independent donors. ...

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Read more: https://www.advocate.com/politics/kyrsten-sinema-donors-abandoned