Sinema says she will never join the Republican Party

Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) said Sunday she will not consider joining the Republican Party, months after changing her membership from Democrat to the Independent.

During an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Sinema spoke to moderator Margaret Brennan about how the two political party systems in the US are being broken. She noted how both the Republican and Democratic parties have turned to extreme rhetoric and distanced themselves from cooperation.

“But in the current political climate, Margaret, as you see every day, there is less tolerance for differences. 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 we need to do, which is to remind everyone that you have to think for yourself. It’s okay not to agree 100 percent with someone else. In fact, it’s important for our democracy that you don’t.”

When Brennan asked Sinema if she was all done partying, Sinema replied, “Absolutely.”

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

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

Sinema, who is up for re-election in 2024, announced late last year that she will leave the Democratic party and officially register as an independent. She told CNN in an interview that this move makes a lot of sense to her since she’s not in the “every party box.”

“I have never fit neatly into a 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 work, I think it will provide a place of connection for many people in the state and country who are also tired of partisanship. ”

Sinema also praised how forging bipartisan relations led to the passing of recent legislation, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Respect for Marriage Act and the Electoral Reform Count Act.

“I hope that shows Arizona and America that our system works better when we put down partisanship, when we try to find common ground,” she added. “And when we block out that noise from the adversaries on the outside, trying to destroy the opportunity to solve those two-pronged challenges.”