Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's political plans for 2024 remain a mystery

As the 2024 election nears, there are only a handful of races that will likely be watched as closely as the presidential race.

One of those races, undoubtedly, is the Arizona Senate race, which may or may not involve Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who left the Democratic Party last year and remains somewhat of a wild card.

According to the Washington Examiner, whether or not she runs will have a drastic effect on the race, given that she'd likely be up against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and 2020 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R).

The results of such a race will also have a monumental effect on which party controls the Senate next year.

Sinema is keeping everyone in the dark, too. While there have been hints one way or another, apparently nobody has a clue if she'll pursue another election.

She technically has about five months to take the formal steps to appear on the ballot. Dem strategists confirmed that nobody knows which route she'll take -- at least at this point in time.

"Anyone who says they know what Sinema is going to do is lying to you," said an anonymous Arizona-based Democratic operative.

They added, "She does what she wants to do and no one will know until she’s ready to make that decision public."

"Without Sinema in the race yet, it’s creating this open lane for Gallego, where he’s the only one out there who supports Democratic values," the person said. "He has a compelling story as a war veteran and is well-spoken."

The Examiner noted:

There are some signs the senior Arizona senator is preparing to launch a bid. An internal memo surfaced in recent months in which her team laid out a path to winning a second term, judging that the Arizona independent would need to win between 10% and 20% of Democrats, 25% to 35% of Republicans, and about 60% to 70% of independent voters.

Earlier this year, several high-profile Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), said they would not endorse her for a 2024 run.

Schumer declines to endorse Sinema 2024 reelection https://t.co/jLMXViwSoD pic.twitter.com/KrjpkiIUuc

— The Hill (@thehill) January 24, 2023

Another possible signal of her not running is the fact that her fundraising is at about 50% of what it was at the same time before the last election.

Only time will tell if she decides to jump in.