Sinema says she’ll never join Republican Party

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) said Sunday that she will not consider becoming a member of the Republican Party, months after she switched her affiliation from Democrat to Independent.

During an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Sinema told moderator Margaret Brennan about how the two political party systems in the U.S. are broken. She noted how both the Republican and Democratic parties have gone to extreme rhetoric and moved away from working together.

“But in today’s political climate, Margaret, as you see every day, there is less tolerance for difference. There was less willingness for individuals to have their own opinions to make their own decisions,” Sinema told Brennan. “And I think that’s something that we have a duty to do, which is to remind everyone you should think for yourself. It’s okay not to agree a hundred percent with another. It is, in fact, important to our democracy that you’re not doing that.”

When Brennan asked Sinema if she’s done with parties entirely Sinema replied: “Absolutely.” 

“Now that you’re an Independent, you’ll never become a Republican?” Brennan asked. 

“No. I mean, I just, I’m laughing because I literally just spent time explaining how broken the two parties are,” Sinema replied. 

Sinema, who is up for reelection in 2024,  announced late last year  that she will leave the Democratic party and officially register as an Independent, telling CNN in an interview that this move makes a lot of sense for her since she didn’t fit into “any party box.” 

“I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to,” Sinema told CNN’s Jake Tapper.  “Removing myself from the partisan structure — not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country who also are tired of the partisanship.”

Sinema also touted how forging bipartisanship relationships led to the passing of recent legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Respect for Marriage Act, Electoral Reform Count Act. 

“I hope that that demonstrates to Arizona and to America that our system works better when we put down the partisanship, when we seek to find the common ground,” she added. “And when we block out that noise of the detractors on the outside, who seek to destroy the opportunity to solve those bipartisan challenges.”