Senator Sinema faces backlash from Democratic party after blocking voting legislation

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is facing criticism from some of her constituents after she and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia this week were the only two Democrats to vote against filibuster reform. This has effectively ended Joe Biden’s voting rights legislation.

The wafer-thin Democrat majority in the Senate meant that filibuster reform was seen as crucial for passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

Arizona Democrats organized heavily to elect Sinema to the Senate and gave her a narrow victory. They lobbied Sinema for months to change her stance on the filibuster, but many said they were unable to secure a meeting with Sinema.

With her refusal to budge on the filibuster rule, Democrats in Arizona are now fundraising to support Sinema’s primary challenger in 2024. Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said this week that he’d support a challenge to Sinema.

Over the summer, the Arizona Democratic Party promised to give Sinema a vote of “no confidence” if she didn’t change her stance to clear the way voting reform. The state executive committee meets on Saturday to discuss a possible “no confidence” vote.

“This should not be a partisan issue, the duty to protect our most fundamental right to vote is one that we all share,” Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Raquel Teran said in a statement.

“We were counting on Sen. Sinema to fight for Arizona, find a path forward, and protect our democracy, but on this issue she has fallen short. Right now, Arizona is ground-zero for the modern-day fight for voting rights, and we don’t have any time to waste.”