Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-AZ) left the Democratic Party, and her Democratic donors responded by leaving her in the dust.
A POLITICO analysis of her donors in recent cycles reveals her previous contributors are more loyal to the Democratic Party than they are to Sinema. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who launched a run for Sinema’s seat in January, has raised two-and-a-half times as much from Sinema’s 2018 major donors as Sinema herself has.
…
Sinema raised $4.6 million in the first nine months of 2023, less than half as much as Gallego’s nearly $10 million haul. Though Sinema still has more than twice as much in the bank ($10.8 million) as Gallego, her fundraising is slowing, and much of that money was raised before she left the party. For comparison: In the first nine months of her 2018 run, which she launched in September 2017, Sinema raised $7.1 million.
Sinema’s former bog donors have shifted to Rep. Reuben Gallego (D), and Democrats in the state have not forgotten how Sinema killed their agenda by blocking both legislation and changes to the filibuster.
What Kyrsten Sinema is finding out is that she is not the new John McCain. She is not a nationally branded maverick who can prosper on her own. Simema benefitted from the support of Democrats, and without that support, she is floundering rapidly moving toward becoming a one-term senator.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
