Critics of Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona speak out

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But now, many Democratic voters in his state feel that Sinema is wasting the moment, withholding the main agenda items developed by President Joe Biden and supported by progressives.

“Now is the time for us to keep all the promises we made,” said Emily Kirkland, Executive Director of Progress Arizona. “She is absolutely opposed to it, without specifying what she wants.”

Kirkland, who often spent 13 hours a day campaigning for Sinema three years ago, now feels “incredibly frustrated” by the senator’s reluctance to join her party on a major spending bill. $ 3.5 trillion that Democrats hope to pass to embrace a wide range of top Liberal priorities.
The events in Washington this week mark the latest episode in a series of decisions that have disappointed the Sinema base. In March, she voted against a bill that would have raised the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, saying she did not want it to be packed with a Covid-19 relief bill.
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She opposes many in her party by refusing to support ending the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for most laws, also known as filibuster. Without filibuster, Democrats could pass their priorities with just a majority, but it would mark a significant procedural change that could hurt Democrats in the future if they lose a majority.

“It lends itself to dysfunction,” Kirkland said, referring to the filibuster. “We should have a system where you send a party to DC, and they are able to adopt an agenda.”

Some of the public confusion on Sinema’s platform stems from her past as a Green Party activist in the early 2000s and a liberal state lawmaker who fought for LGBT rights and fought against controversial Arizona immigration laws.

Over time, she adopted a more bipartisan perspective and carried it with her when she was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2012. In Washington, she joined centrist groups, like the Blue Dog Coalition and has built relationships on both sides.

So when she ran for the Senate in 2018, many progressives told CNN they didn’t expect Sinema to vote with Democrats 100 percent of the time, but they were at least confident that she would address major issues, especially once Biden wins his state in 2020.

Brianna Westbrook, progressive voter and constituency captain in Arizona, reflected on Sinema’s career as she stood outside on the patio of The Main Ingredient in Phoenix, a restaurant near the former congressional district of Sinema.

“She had never been in a majority. She is now,” said Westbrook, who also campaigned for Sinema in 2018. “And she’s shown she can’t lead when her party has a majority.”

Westbrook said she and other voters who have supported Sinema now feel betrayed. “She used everyone as a ladder to get to a position of power.”

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It’s not just progressives who feel dissatisfied with Sinema’s performance. Across the patio from The Main Ingredient were Fran Williams, a voter sitting with her beer, a dog named Luke, and a few friends. Williams described herself as a moderate Democrat who also voted for the late Republican Senator John McCain.

She supported Sinema in 2018, but now feels put off by what she described as Sinema’s “flip-flop”. And she emphasized the sometimes eccentric outfits of the senator – Sinema is known to wear colorful wigs and embracing a unique fashion style – as well as her unorthodox public personality reflects a lack of decorum she feels defended by McCain.

More than anything, Williams believes that Sinema has not communicated clearly enough with his constituents.

“She’s going to have to do some sort of huge turnaround to get our support back,” Williams said. “People are not happy with her.”

When contacted to comment on the views of her constituents, John LaBombard, spokesperson for Sinema, said in a statement that “Kyrsten has always promised the Arizonans that she will be an independent voice for the state – not for either political party “.

“She kept that promise and has always been honest about her position,” he added.

The frustration of state voters across the Democratic spectrum is palpable, but it also reflects the complex political dynamics that now define an ever-changing Arizona: Progressives think it’s not liberal enough, moderates think it is. ‘she is not moderate enough and many Republicans now find themselves kissing a Democrat.

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This includes Kristina Murray from Buckeye, Ariz., Who came to watch her 15-year-old son play baseball on a Scottsdale field. Murray, who isn’t particularly crazy about either party, voted for former President Donald Trump and considers herself a Republican. She said she was surprisingly pleased with the way Sinema was willing to stand up to her own party.

“We want someone who thinks independently, don’t we? We don’t want someone to be in sync with their party,” she said. “Because then you are presenting a very ideological position, rather than a measured, intelligent and analytical approach.”

CNN spoke to several Republicans who liked Sinema’s style but admitted it wouldn’t be enough to back her in 2024 against a Republican. It’s a point progressives continue to make – Sinema is courting voters across the aisle who will never vote for her no matter what she does.

Murray, however, disagreed and said she would be “absolutely” open to voting for re-election.

“I am not that ideologically rigid,” she said. “You know, if you come up with good ideas, I don’t care what party you’re from. “

CNN’s Clare Foran contributed to this report.



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