(Headline USA) Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., isn’t the only prominent Democrat to flee the party in the wake of the midterm elections.
At least two other government leaders in the state and local levels have also cut ties with Democrats.
Last week, New York City Councilman Ari Kagan, who was elected in 2021 as a Democrat, announced he was switching parties and joining the GOP.
Explaining his decision, Kagain said, “The Democratic Party in New York was moving to the Left at such a speed I couldn’t keep up.
“It’s not me leaving the Democratic Party,” he added, invoking a famous quip by former President Ronald Reagan. “The Democratic Party very quickly started to leave me.”
In West Virginia, state Sen. Glenn Jeffries also announced earlier this month that he was leaving the Democratic Party for the GOP. While he didn’t go into much detail about why he was making the switch, Jeffries said, “Our politics have gotten so personal and difficult.”
“I have the greatest respect for the many friends and supporters I have been blessed with during my time in public office,” he added. “I hope to continue and strengthen those relationships going forward.”
Jeffries’s switch may fuel further speculation about the likelihood that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., could be pressured into flipping parties to restore the 50–50 balance to the Senate.
Along with Sinema, Manchin has been one of the last remaining center–left senators in the Democratic Party, drawing the wrath of many left-wing activists for their refusal to support eliminating the filibuster.
Manchin already faces a serious GOP contender in Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. for his 2024 re-election bid but could become the party favorite if he were to restore the balance to the Senate, blocking them from appointing radical judges and other key issues that the current 51–49 advantage would permit.
Sinema revealed last week that she will no longer label herself a Democrat, saying she will identify as an independent instead, although she will continue to caucus with the Democrats.
“When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than they are on improving Americans’ lives, the people who lose are everyday Americans,” Sinema wrote in an op-ed explaining her decision.
“That’s why I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington,” she continued. I registered as an Arizona independent. ”
Several other former high-profile Democrats, including former Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, have publicly switched over during the Biden presidency as they become increasingly red-pilled by leftist radicalism.
