Democrat Ruben Gallego Slams Kyrsten Sinema, a Potential Opponent, over Party Switch

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a potential 2024 U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona, slammed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) for “putting her own interests ahead” of Arizona voters by leaving the Democrat Party.

“Last month, the voters of Arizona made their voices heard loud and clear — they want leaders who put the people of Arizona first,” he said, referring to Sen. Mark Kelly defeating Republican Blake Masters in last month’s midterm election.

Gallego, who has been looked at as a potential candidate to challenge Sinema if she runs for reelection in 2024 when her Senate term is up, stated, “We need Senators who will put Arizonans ahead of big drug companies and Wall Street bankers.”

“Whether in the Marine Corps or in Congress, I have never backed down from fighting for Arizonans. And at a time when our nation needs leadership most, Arizona deserves a voice that won’t back down in the face of struggle,” explained Gallego. “Unfortunately Senator Sinema is once again putting her own interests ahead of getting things done for Arizonans.”

This comes after Sinema announced she would leave the Democrat Party to become an independent during an interview released Friday morning with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. And I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but, actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” she said in the interview. “A growing number of Arizonans and people like me just don’t feel like we fit neatly into one party’s box or the other.”

“I’ve decided to leave that partisan process and really just focus on the work that I think matters to Arizona and to our country, which is solving problems and getting things done,” she continued. “I don’t think anything will change about how I do my job. Arizonans sent me to the United States Senate to be an independent voice for our state, and I’ll continue doing that.”

Following Sinema’s party switch, the Democrats will still have control of the Senate with 51 seats, since she will caucus with the Democrats.

Now that the midterm elections are over, Gallego, who is up for reelection every two years in the House of Representatives — along with anyone else who wishes to — is able to announce a bid to primary Sinema in 2024, when she is up for reelection.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.