Sinema shakes up Senate with decision to leave Democrats

(Washington, DC) -- The Senate is dealing with a shakeup after Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema announced she's leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent.

Democrats had just won their 51st Senate seat this week by coming out on top in Georgia, but Sinema's departure brings the Senate closer to the 50-50 setup it has dealt with for the last two years.

In that time, Vice President Harris has had to cast many tie-breaking votes to get Democratic priorities over the finish line.

Despite leaving the Democratic Party, Sinema told Politico "nothing will change about her values or her behavior." She added she doesn't anticipate changes in the Senate's structure as a result of her move either.