[March 6, AFP]U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (47, independent) from Arizona, currently in her first term, announced on the 5th that she will not seek a second term. The state is one of the battleground states, and attention will be focused on how his withdrawal will affect the November parliamentary elections.

Sinema was originally a Democratic House member, but switched to the Senate in 2019. He then became an independent in December 2022. However, public opinion polls consistently show that his approval rating remains third behind candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties, making it difficult for him to be re-elected.

Republicans currently hold 49 seats in the Senate (100 seats). The party needs two more seats for a majority, but it is unclear whether Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego or Republican candidate Kari Lake will benefit from Sinema’s withdrawal. (c)AFP