Kyrsten Sinema Formally Censured By AZ Dem Party Over Voting Rights, Increasing Chance of Primary Challenge
The Arizona Democratic Party’s Executive Committee formally censured Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on Saturday morning as a result of her inaction on changing the filibuster rules to pass voting rights reform.
Sinema is facing renewed criticism from those who helped elect her after she and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia were the only two Democrats to vote against filibuster reform this week, effectively derailing passage of voting rights legislation. Arizona Democrats had organized heavily to elect Sinema to the Senate after she previously served in the U.S. House, which resulted in a narrow win. They lobbied Sinema for months to change her stance on the filibuster, but many were unable to get a meeting with the senator. “While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy,” Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Terán said in a statement after a meeting of the executive board Saturday morning. “On the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear. In the choice between an archaic legislative norm and protecting Arizonans’ right to vote, we choose the latter, and we always will,” the statement read.
Arizona Democratic Party’s state committee members in September had approved a resolution outlining potential action the party would take against Sinema if she “does not vote in favor of Filibuster reform” to allow the passage of voting rights legislation. The resolution also allowed for the executive board to issue a formal letter of censure to Sinema with the “clear understanding that she could potentially lose the support of the ADP in 2024.”
Standing OVATION Arizona.
The AZ Democratic Party CENSURED Sinema.
THIS is how we protect democracy.#VotingRightsNOW #SinemaCENSURED#SinemaEndsDemocracy pic.twitter.com/TxuYnIQ2n7
— 💙🌟Light Warrior™️🌟💙 (@trishmc1958) January 22, 2022
With her refusal to change the filibuster rule and her insistence on siding with Republicans, Democrats in Arizona are fundraising to support Sinema’s primary challenger in 2024. Influential Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said this week that he’d support a challenge to Sinema.
Arizona Democratic Party Exec Board censures AZ Sen. Kyrsten Sinema: "While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy.” pic.twitter.com/3XEzR9S2xs
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) January 22, 2022
Sinema also lost a major endorsement this week from Emily’s List, a large political organization that bankrolls campaigns they endorse, including those who support abortion rights.
Wow. Good on @emilyslist.
"Right now, Sen. Sinema's decision to reject the voices of allies, partners, and constituents who believe the importance of voting rights outweighs that of an arcane process means she will find herself standing alone in the next election." pic.twitter.com/Bu07SurZa2
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 18, 2022