Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., left the Democratic Party and now Democrat donors have left her, delivering a blow to any reelection hopes.
"Her fundraising is somewhat dried up," Arizona GOP operative Barrett Marson told Politico. "There isn't an independent donor base as there is a Republican donor base and a Democratic donor base."
Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has become the Democrat donors' choice for the 2024 election cycle, raising 2 1/2 times as Sinema's 2018 major donors, according to a Politico review of campaign finance.
Republican Kari Lake is running for Senate in a potential bid to flip one of Arizona's two Senate seats red amid a narrow majority for the left under Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. There are 49 GOP senators, 48 Democrats, and three independents (including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine).
Sinema left the Democratic Party over opposition to Democrat spending policies and has an April deadline to weigh an independent run for reelection.
"Trust me, it hasn't been forgotten," Gallego-endorser Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., told Politico.
Sinema has $10.8 million in the bank after raising $4.6 million in the first nine months of 2023 — most of that before she became an independent — but Gallego has raised nearly $10 million over the same time. Gallego is spending heavily now, holding about $5 million in his campaign account, Politico reported.
Sinema's biggest 2018 donors have given Gallego $691,000 compared to just $277,000 for her, according to the analysis.
"It wouldn't surprise me that she would draw more from the Republicans than Democrats," Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Politico, adding that the math "would worry me."
Sinema has eight donors aligned with the Senate Leadership Fund, a Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fund intended to elect Republicans.
Lake famously told Republicans in the mold of late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to "get the hell out" when she ran for governor in 2022.
"Can she also repair some of the relationships in a district like mine?" Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., asked, according to Politico. "They have their own issue sets that on occasion they’d like someone to speak to."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.