Dem
51
GOP
49
We still don't know what Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) was thinking when she decided to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent. Maybe she had a good reason, but Democrats don't think so. Consequently, they have drastically cut back their donations to her reelection campaign. In Q4 2023, she raised only $595,000, while spending $749,000 to raise it. Spending more than you take in is not generally thought to be a good long-term strategy. Her haul is less than 20% of what Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) raised ($3.3 million) and 30% of what Kari Lake raised ($2 million). Gallego has $7 million in the bank but Lake has only $700,000. Sinema's low fundraising isn't a problem financially, since she has $11 million in her campaign account, but it indicates a lack of enthusiasm.
The poor result wasn't for lack of trying. She spent $124,000 on fundraising consulting and related costs. She also spent $141,000 on digital ads. She is also worried about her personal security and spent $100,000 for security services and $77,000 for a secure vehicle. But she spent only $7,700 on staffers, a ridiculously low figure for a Senate candidate.
The lack of enthusiasm could be a problem because, as an independent, she has to petition to get on the ballot. She needs 40,000 signatures and she needs them before the April 8 deadline. She can hire people to try to collect them, but few Democrats are likely to sign (because they despise her) and probably the only Republicans who will sign are those who think she will pull more votes from Gallego than from Lake. Maybe there are enough independents who genuinely don't know what they want, but she can't even start the process until she declares that she is a candidate. There isn't much time left. Heaven only knows what she is up to. (V)