(Headline USA) Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is headlining a virtual fundraising event for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s, I-Ariz., primary rival — the clearest indication yet that Democrat leadership plans to oust the independent senator after she left the party.
An invitation to Rep. Ruben Gallego’s, D-Ariz., online fundraiser, obtained by NBC News, shows Pelosi listed as a special guest. The invitation encourages guests to contribute anywhere from $500 to $6,600. The even twill take place on Thursday.
Pelosi has not endorsed Gallego nor Sinema, and rarely weighs in on Democrat infighting. However, she could view Sinema as an open target since Sinema left the Democrat Party late last year.
Sinema has not yet announced a bid for reelection.
Gallego announced his bid for the Senate seat in January, and has repeatedly bashed Sinema for breaking with her Democrat colleagues. When Sinema declined to stump for other Democrat candidates during the midterms, for example, Gallego accused her of being “selfish.”
“She’s not going to be out here stumping for Democrats,” Gallego whined to Politico at the time. “She’s all about herself. She’s not going to help [Sen.] Mark [Kelly]. She’s not going to help [gubernatorial candidate] Katie Hobbs … She cares about herself.”
Gallego continued: “She doesn’t care about the Democratic movement,” he claimed. “She doesn’t care about working-class people. … I think she cares more about her career than she cares about, like, what we can do with our elected office.”
Sinema announced she was leaving the Democrat Party to register as an independent last year, saying she doesn’t believe she fits into “any party box.”
“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Sinema said. “I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to.”
