Sinema touts bipartisan record as Arizona Democrats plan censure vote

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) touted her bipartisan record on Twitter Wednesday ahead of a planned vote by the state’s Democratic Party on whether to censure her.

“Arizonans can count on me to work across the aisle and get things done for our state,” Sinema tweeted, linking to an Arizona Mirror article about an analysis that named her record the most bipartisan among Senate Democrats and the third-most among senators overall, after GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

Arizonans can count on me to work across the aisle and get things done for our state. https://t.co/Au3HhLd8l2

— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) September 18, 2019

The analysis found 58 percent of bills Sinema co-sponsored have Republican sponsors, with Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) her closest Democratic competitor at 51 percent.

{mosads}The censure vote, scheduled for Saturday, was prompted by the perception among Arizona Democrats that Sinema has too often voted with President Trump and the Senate’s Republican majority, specifically citing her votes to confirm Attorney General William Barr and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.

The left flank of the party has also cited her failure to join other Senate Democrats in working to reinstate net neutrality rules.

“We are a very diverse group and that means diversity of thought, as well,” state party Chairwoman Felecia Rotellini told the Arizona Republic. “I don’t think it reflects poorly on the party at all, I don’t think it’s an indication of a fracture. I think it’s an indication of a group of people who think differently and have a different perspective on the same topic.”

A spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party said Wednesday evening that the resolution would not be considered before the full party on Saturday due to the Progressive Caucus’ failure to submit proposed language in time. The vote has been postponed until January.

Updated on Thursday at 11:59 a.m.