Democratic Sen. Kirsten Sinema has left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent.
Sinema made the announcement Friday in an article published in the Arizona Republic.
The senator cited partisan interests and the radicalization of both political parties as the reason for his departure.
“Americans are told that we have only two choices—Democrat or Republican—and that we must subscribe wholesale to the political views held by the parties, views that tend toward extremes,” Sinema reported.
“Most Arizonans believe this is the wrong choice, and when I ran for the US House and Senate, I promised Arizonans otherwise,” he continued. “I promise to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I promise not to bully, name-call, or get caught up in political drama.”
Sinema accused the major political parties in the US of being more concerned with blocking each other than with the welfare of their constituents.
“When politicians focus more on denying the opposition party a victory than improving the lives of Americans, the people who lose are ordinary Americans.”
He added, “That’s why I’ve joined the growing number of Arizonans rejecting party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington. I’ve registered as an independent in the state of Arizona.”
This is a developing story. Check for updates.