Kyrsten Sinema Reflects on Senate Legacy and Criticism in Exit Interview

The outgoing Arizona senator defends her record, dismisses critics, and confirms her departure from politics after a single term.

Kyrsten Sinema, who served one term as an independent senator from Arizona, stated in an exit interview that she is at peace with her record and does not care about criticism from progressives or Democrats.
Sinema highlighted her role in preserving the Senate filibuster, calling it the most important vote of her career, despite backlash from her former party.
She played a key role in bipartisan legislation on infrastructure, gun safety, and same-sex marriage, though she faced criticism for opposing progressive measures like raising the minimum wage and weakening the filibuster.
Sinema confirmed she will not seek reelection and is leaving politics entirely, expressing satisfaction with what she described as accomplishing '40 years worth of work in one term.'
Her successor, Democrat Ruben Gallego, won Arizona's Senate seat in 2024, defeating Republican Kari Lake in a closely watched race.