The Democratic Party of Sinema's home state denounced what it insisted was her failure to further the protection of voting rights nationwide. Cinema and West Virginian Sen. Joe Manchin were the only two Democrats to join with Senate Republicans in opposing the rule change Wednesday, which would have allowed their party to push through two bills expanding federal oversight of elections over the objections of the minority party.
Raquel Teran, head of the Arizona Democratic Party, declared that Sinema's decision warranted a condemnation for "her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy." "The Arizona Democratic Party is a diverse coalition with plenty of room for policy disagreements. However, on the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear," Teran voiced following the ADP's Saturday vote. "In the choice between an archaic legislative norm and protecting Arizonans' right to vote, we choose the latter, and we always will."
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Sinema has publicly supported the voting rights bills and voted for them on Wednesday. But she has long opposed eliminating the filibuster, characterizing the proposed rule change in a Thursday statement as one "that would deepen our divisions and risk repeated radical reversals in federal policy, cementing uncertainty and further eroding confidence in our government."
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When asked about the censure vote, Sinema's office pointed to her bipartisan record. "During three terms in the U.S. House, and now in the Senate, Kyrsten has always promised Arizonans she would be an independent voice for the state — not for either political party," her spokesperson said in a statement emailed to NPR. "She's delivered for Arizonans and has always been honest about where she stands."
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In September, The ADP vowed to "closely watch" how Sinema voted on the filibuster, noting that if she did not side with the group, it would be with "the clear understanding that she could potentially lose the support of the ADP in 2024."
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Sinema has faced strong headwinds from within her own party in light of her willingness to break with the partisan line, attracting spirited bids to mount a primary challenge against her when she is up for reelection in 2024.
Sinema is the first Arizona Democrat elected to the Senate in 30 years. She has been called an unapologetic moderate.
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