Who Is Kyrsten Sinema? All About Former Democrat Turned Independent Arizona Senator Who Is Stepping Down After One Term

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, an independent, declared on Tuesday that she will not run for office again in November.

Published on Mar 06, 2024  |  02:26 PM IST |  37.1K
Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Key Highlight
  • Independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced that she will not seek reelection in November
  • Sinema was first elected to Congress in 2012 as a Democratic representative

Kyrsten Sinema, an Independent Senator from Arizona, announced on Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year. Sinema's decision comes after serving a single term in the Senate, during which she made significant contributions to her state and the nation.

Throughout her tenure, Sinema played a key role in painting Arizona blue, ultimately breaking with the Democratic Party to become an independent. In a sharply divided Senate, Sinema was instrumental in multiple legislative negotiations, working across the aisle to find common ground and advance critical legislation.

Independent Arizona Senator Says She Will Not Run for Re-Election

Her announcement put an end to a year of speculation about her future in a state known for intense political competition. The highly anticipated race for Senate control has now paved the way for a traditional showdown between the eventual Republican nominee and Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democrat more aligned with his party's mainstream views.


As Democrats battle to keep control of the Senate, Ms. Sinema, a first-term senator who defected from the party in 2022, may have faced difficult odds in a three-way contest for reelection. Amidst her announcement, let's take a closer look at her life and career!

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Who is Krysten Sinema?

Early life

On July 12, 1976, Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona. At sixteen, she was the valedictorian of Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs. In 1995, at the age of 18, she graduated with a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University (BYU). Later, she graduated from BYU.

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Politcal Career

Sinema represented the 15th legislative district in the state legislature for three terms between 2005 and 2011, held the office of state senator for the same district from 2011 to 2012, and represented the 9th district in the US Congress for three terms between 2013 and 2019.

Political Career

She joined the Arizona Green Party at the start of her political career and gained notoriety for her progressive stance, opposing the war on terror and supporting causes like LGBT rights.


Following her election, she became a member of the nonpartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, and the New Democrat Coalition, accumulating one of the more conservative voting records in the Democratic caucus. Sinema defeated Republican candidate Martha McSally in the 2018 Senate election to succeed retiring Jeff Flake.

In the House of Representatives in 2012 and the Senate in 2018, she became the first bisexual and the second openly LGBT woman to be elected to Congress, following Tammy Baldwin. She is also the first and only woman from Arizona to be elected to the Senate from Arizona and the only religiously unaffiliated member of Congress.

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Know more about Kyrsten Sinema

Is Kyrsten Sinema married?
Ktysten Sinema married her BYU classmate Blake Dain in 1995, and later divorced him in 1999.

What is Kyrsten Sinema's net worth?
According to caknowledge, Kyrsten Sinema's net worth is around $11 Million.

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A content writer with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and two years of experience in Content Writing.

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