'She's a sellout': Ex-Kyrsten Sinema supporters see her 'lavish lifestyle' as a total betrayal

In the past, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) emphasized that she had grown up poor. That was a key theme of her 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, which found the former Democrat defeating Republican nominee Martha McSally and flipping a long-held GOP seat.

But in an article published by the Arizona Republic on July 13, reporter Ronald J. Hansen focuses on Sinema's "lavish lifestyle" in 2023 — stressing that she is now known for having expensive tastes and wondering how that may affect her if she seeks reelection in 2024 and runs as an independent.

"For many," Hansen reports, "that narrative of humble roots has given way to another, more contemporary image of a senator hobnobbing with the rich and powerful — someone more comfortable sipping sangria in flashy apparel at a private gathering than meeting in public with constituents about what troubles them. Sinema hasn't officially said she is seeking reelection to the Senate since she left the Democratic Party in December to become an independent. As she considers her options, she does so knowing many of her former supporters haven't reconciled the image of who she once was to how she now comes across."

If Sinema does run for reelection, it is possible she will be in a three-way race with Rep. Ruben Gallego (who appears to be on track to receive the Democratic nomination) and a Republican nominee. Far-right MAGA Republican and conspiracy theorist Kari Lake, Arizona's unsuccessful 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, is being mentioned as a possible candidate but hasn't officially entered the race.

Hansen cites Arizona resident Martha Y. Scott as an example of a Democrat who voted for Sinema in 2018 but has since grown disenchanted with her.

Scott told the Arizona Republic, "I was a big fan of hers. I was so proud of her when she got in (the Senate). And then, all of a sudden, she turned, and I just couldn't understand why. It's like she's a Republican. I want people I can identify with. She's a sellout."

Hansen notes that Gallego "routinely attacks Sinema on social media." But election law expert Rick Hasen, who teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), doubts that Sinema has committed any campaign law violations on her expensive trips.

Hasen told the Arizona Republic, "What's prohibited is turning campaign spending into personal use. If a candidate used campaign money for a vacation that was completely unconnected to fundraising or something related to the campaign, that would be prohibited. But I don't think it's unprecedented for people to combine business and pleasure.… In a close case, the FEC is going to be unlikely to find a violation."