Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) declared herself to be “the most liberal legislator in the State of Arizona” in a 2006 radio interview that was shared by Kari Lake’s campaign for Senate on Tuesday.
The newly resurfaced video was recorded during Sinema’s appearance on “The Ed Schultz Show” in February 2006. Sinema, who was a state legislator at the time, declared herself to be the “most liberal” of her colleagues after Schultz asked about her political identity.
It was initially released by the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in 2018 when Sinema won her race for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. Sinema has since left the Democratic Party and attempted to differentiate herself from her former colleagues but continues to caucus with Senate Democrats and accept Democratic committee assignments.
The Arizona Sun Times contacted Sinema’s office for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Phony Moderate @kyrstensinema has always been one of the most liberal legislators in all of Arizona.
Don't take our word for it.
Here's Sinema literally calling herself "THE most liberal legislator in the state of Arizona.” https://t.co/rEf0woLgPY pic.twitter.com/juXPjNVddD
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) October 31, 2023
While Sinema has not officially declared whether she will seek another term in office, she will face Republican and Democratic challengers should she move forward.
Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) seems poised to secure the Democratic nomination, while the only available polling of Arizona Republicans showed Lake with a lead over other likely candidates.
A donor memorandum obtained by the media in September indicated Sinema is nonetheless planning to launch a re-election bid and will seek to win by campaigning aggressively for independent and Republican votes. The memo suggested Sinema’s path to electoral victory includes the majority of independent voters, many disaffected Arizona Republicans, and a smattering of Arizona’s Democrats.
The memo asserted that Sinema’s independent status “appeals to voters who refuse to identify with either political party or dislike candidates nominated in partisan primaries who cater to the political fringes.” It claimed that she “will win a majority of IND, at least a third of REP and a percentage of DEM voters” should the Republican and Democratic parties “nominate extremists, as expected.”
Two polls released when Lake declared her candidacy in October indicated Sinema may have inroads with Republican and independent voters. Nonetheless, both polls showed her in a distant, third-place finish.
Worse for Sinema’s possible strategy, the Republican Senate Conference chair endorsed Lake, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), shortly after she announced her campaign, potentially signalling widespread Republican support for her campaign. Additional support might be forthcoming from the NRSC, which reportedly considers her unbeatable in a primary contest.
Lake recently called on both Sinema and Gallego to condemn the Council on American-Islamic Relations and for Sinema to disavow $5,700 in campaign donations she received from members of the anti-Israel organization.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Krysten Sinema” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
