After Kirsten Sinema’s departure, Democrats lost seats in the US Senate, but their majority was not in jeopardy

The cinema did not run in the November mid-term elections. His term does not expire until 2024. He has not yet announced whether he intends to run for re-election in 2024.

At first glance, his departure from the Democratic Party did not have major consequences for Democrats. That’s because Senate President Kamala Harris told Senate Democrats they no longer vote with Democrats, but if a vote ends 50-50, they still have the deciding vote. But their already narrow majority has now become even narrower.

Cinema is not the only independent senator. So are Angus King (from Maine) and Bernie Sanders (from Vermont). They generally vote with Democrats. The cinema has opened up whether he will do so in the future. In recent years, he has been one of several Democratic senators who have sometimes voted against, requiring Republican votes to pass President Biden’s plans. However, cinema will continue to perform its duties in committees, which some say will lead to a more or less democratic practice.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer sees little change. “Kirsten is independent. She always has been. I think she’s a very capable senator,” he said.