Romney says he’s open to backing Sinema in Arizona Senate race

Suzanne Bates
·2 min read
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Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema arrives for a meeting of the Senate Homeland Security Committee at the Capitol.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema arrives for a meeting of the Senate Homeland Security Committee at the Capitol. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press
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Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said he’s open to endorsing Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, and even campaigning for her, if she decides to run for the Senate again in 2024.

“I’m not saying no, I could very easily endorse Sen. Sinema,” Romney said, according to an article on Sinema in Politico. He said she is “one of the senators that is able to pull people together and actually get legislation passed.”

After leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent in December, there has been speculation over whether Sinema would run for her Senate seat again. She has not said yet what her plans are, but she already has a potential Democratic opponent after Rep. Ruben Gallego said he would run in 2024.

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It is still unclear who her Republican opponent might be. Rumored possibilities include former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and former Senate candidate Blake Masters, along with Karrin Taylor Robson, who lost to Lake in the primary for governor.

If Sinema does decide to run, Romney told Politico that he hopes she is reelected and said he was open to campaigning for her in Arizona.

Romney spokesperson Arielle Mueller confirmed the article was accurate.

Sinema was not interviewed for the Politico story, but anonymous sources told the publication she has been highly critical of Democratic leaders when speaking at private meetings and events. This has given some Republicans hope she would caucus with her GOP Senate colleagues instead of with Democrats, the article said.

That includes Romney, who was quoted in the article as saying “jokingly” that he would like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to tell Sinema she can chair the Senate Finance Committee if she crosses the aisle.

The article quotes Sinema as giving a colorful reason for why she no longer attends Democratic caucus lunches.

“Old dudes are eating Jell-O, everyone is talking about how great they are,” Sinema reportedly said. “I don’t really need to be there for that. That’s an hour and a half twice a week that I can get back.”