米無所属上院議員、再選目指さず アリゾナ州

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米アリゾナ州選出で現在１期目のキルステン・シネマ上院議員（無所属、４７）は５日、２期目を目指さない意向を表明した。同州は激戦州の一つで、同議員の撤退が１１月の議会選挙にどのような影響を及ぼすか注目される。（写真はキルステン・シネマ米上院議員）
　シネマ氏はもともと民主党下院議員だったが、２０１９年に上院議員にくら替え。その後、２２年１２月に無所属に転じた。ただ、世論調査では常に支持率は民主・共和両党候補に次ぐ３番手にとどまっており、再選は難しいとみられていた。
　現在、上院（定数１００）では共和党が４９議席を保有。過半数を握るにはあと２議席必要だが、民主党候補のルーベン・ガレゴ氏、共和党候補カリ・レーク氏のいずれがシネマ氏撤退の恩恵を受けるかは不透明な状況だ。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/03/06-17:14）

Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema said Tuesday she will not run for reelection in Arizona, a swing state seen as must-win for control of the finely balanced US Senate in November's election.
The former Democrat, who moved to the upper chamber from the House of Representatives in 2019 and later quit the party, would likely have failed to win a second term, as she consistently polled third behind the main party candidates.
Republicans need a net gain of two seats to win the Senate, but polling is sparse in Arizona's narrow contest and it is not clear whether Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego or Republican hopeful Kari Lake will benefit most from Sinema's withdrawal.
Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get stuff done, I will leave the Senate at the end of this year, the 47-year-old from Arizona said in a video posted on X.
The former social worker, who left the Democrats to serve as an independent in December 2022, had set out a strategy for November's election of winning up to 20 percent of Democrats and 35 percent of Republicans.
Sinema cultivated a reputation as a centrist and a bipartisan dealmaker on contentious legislation, although as a Democrat she was as often a thorn in the side of the White House, refusing to toe the line on multiple key issues.
I believe in my approach, but it's not what America wants right now, she said.