AP Success - AP U.S. Gov & Pol: Concept Application: Kyrsten Sinema's Political Transformation and Conflict with AZ Democrats

In the 2012 election, Arizona democrat Kyrsten Sinema won her election to the U.S. House of Representatives. She previously served in the Arizona House and Senate, where she advocated for LGBT rights and other progressive reforms. 

Congresswoman Sinema took a more moderate political stance during her time in the House between 2013 and 2019. She even voted with Republicans on some occasions, such as supporting a bill to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Kyrsten Sinema began to attract open criticism after her election to the U.S. Senate in 2018. She aligned herself with conservative democratic Senator Joe Manchin and opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour. These and other actions led the Arizona Democratic Party to censure her in early 2022. Facing low approval ratings in Arizona and a possible primary challenge, Senator Sinema left the Democratic Party in December 2022 and registered as an independent.