Sinema dumped as client by progressive consulting firm after leaving Democratic Party: report

On Friday, POLITICO reported that Authentic, a Democratic consulting firm that provides digital work and donor list acquisition, is dumping Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema as a client following her announcement she would be leaving the Democratic Party and working as an independent.

"Authentic has represented Sinema for years. But the firm saw an internal revolt over its work for the senator earlier this year as she voted against several of the Biden administration’s initiatives and refused to support revamping filibuster rules to move legislation on voting rights," reported Hailey Fuchs. "One employee wrote in a union message that the person felt that they were 'doing the devil’s work.' Employees were told they could be removed from the account if they did not feel comfortable."

"The Sinema campaign has paid more than $700,000 to Authentic since the start of 2020, according to Federal Election Commission records," said the report. "Authentic was founded in 2018 by veteran political consultant Mike Nellis, who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. The firm’s work has included campaigns for President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Its clients also include Patients for Affordable Drugs and other organizations. Authentic’s website still lists Sinema on its roster as of mid-Friday."

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"The Arizona senator will be up for reelection in 2024," said the report. "Should she make a reelection bid, the loss of Authentic could hinder her fundraising efforts. In January, POLITICO reported that Sinema’s grassroots fundraising had largely dried up and that her campaign was increasingly relying on corporate PACs or large donations."

Sinema has historically voted with Democrats on the overwhelming majority of legislation and nominees, and she is expected to retain her committee assignments and effectively still be a caucus vote for Democrats. However, her exit from the Democratic Party comes after years of her publicly blocking Democrats on a handful of issues, including filibuster reform and taxing private equity firms.

Her switch would potentially set her up to avoid a Democratic primary if she chooses to run for another term, which polls have suggested she would have been very unlikely to win