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PHOENIX - Senator Kyrsten Sinema toured a Phoenix VA hospital on Friday, ahead of Veterans Day on Nov. 11. The former Democrat, turned Independent, has yet to announce whether she will run for re-election in 2024.
The senator was born and raised in Tucson and comes from a military family, so Nov. 10's event was close to her heart. She heard from multiple veteran organizations about funding and help they need to touring new construction projects.
But the elephant in the room – is she running for re-election?
"I got to see some incredible improvements and new facilities here at the Phoenix VA. The one I was perhaps most excited about was the establishment of the pain management clinic,' said Sinema.
With less than a year out from Election Day, she remains tight-lipped about her political plans for 2024 and whether she will seek another six-year term.
"I'm not here today to talk about myself or to talk about politics," she said.
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Will Sinema run for re-election in '24?
Republicans, on the other hand, got welcomed news on Nov. 9 that Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin will not seek re-election in West Virginia. The GOP is hoping to pick up more red seats to retake the Senate.
Sinema told FOX 10 that Manchin still has a lot more work to do.
"So Senator Manchin has just been an incredible friend and ally for my entire time serving in the United States House and, of course, now in the Senate, and I will certainly miss him and his voice, but the good news is we’ve got another year, plus before Senator Manchin leaves the Senate, and we have a lot to get done before then."
If Sinema does announce she's running, it would turn into a three-way party race in Arizona. So far for Republicans, there's Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who announced his campaign in April, and Kari Lake, who entered last month with the endorsement of former president Donald Trump. Representative Ruben Gallego is the only prominent Democrat running for Sinema's seat and is hoping to keep it blue.
When asked whether Sen. Manchin's decision will impact her decision for re-election, Sinema said it "Doesn't affect my decision at all."
Last month, Sinema was appointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. for now, she says she wants to focus on the immediate tasks at hand.