Kyrsten Sinema is an independent American politician who has served as the U.S. Senator from Arizona since 2019. Although her initial allegiance was to the Democratic Party, she has shifted toward a more independent, bipartisan approach. This shift toward the political center ultimately led to her leaving the Democrats in December 2022. This article will uncover Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth and any potential source of income other than her senatorial salary.
How rich is Kyrsten Sinema?
Kyrsten Sinema attended Walton High School and graduated as valedictorian at 16. She then enrolled at Brigham Young University and earned her B.A. in 1995. After that, she earned her JD from Arizona State University College of Law in 1999. Ultimately, she would complete her PhD in justice studies at the same ASU College.
Sinema had been attempting to enter local politics as an independent starting in 2000 but failed. In 2003, she took adjunct professor positions at Arizona State University School of Social Work and Arizona Summit Law School. Besides her teaching positions, she has had no other known significant income sources.
She joined the Democrats and won the local Arizona House of Representatives elections, a post she held until 2011 when she was elected as a member of the Arizona Senate. In 2013, she became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, and finally, in 2019, she became a U.S. senator from Arizona.
Having virtually no other sources of income besides teaching and politics, Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth is very modest.
What is Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth?
Disclaimer: Estimating a lawmaker’s net worth is challenging because disclosure forms do not mandate exact values. Instead, lawmakers report the value of their assets and liabilities within specified ranges. While we strive to accurately estimate net worth from filings, disclosure rules have shortcomings. Personal residences, certain personal property, and federal retirement accounts are often not reported. Large assets can be listed in broad categories like “Over $1 million” or “Over $50 million,” potentially worth much more. Additionally, most Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, but this isn’t required to be disclosed.
How did Kyrsten Sinema make her money?
Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth remains humble with only two sources:
- Salary from politics: Sinema has held the title of U.S. Representative from Arizona from 2013 to 2019 and the title of a U.S. Senator from Arizona since 2019, both of which provide an annual salary of $174,000;
- Salary from teaching: Kyrsten Sinema also earns a salary from teaching. However, it is $25,600 each year, which is a fraction of her senatorial payments and is, therefore, almost negligible on a grand scale.
What will Kyrsten Sinema do after politics?
Recommended video: Kyrsten Sinema announces she is retiring from the Senate
Since parting ways with the Democratic Party, Sinema has stated that she will not seek reelection. According to a biography of Mitt Romney, Romney: A Reckoning, Sinema once told the Utah senator: “I don’t care. I can go on any board I want to. I can be a college president. I can do anything. I saved the Senate filibuster by myself. That’s good enough for me.”
Business Insider also claims that she has the means to pursue several routes to getting rich from her experience and political relationships, including becoming a lobbyist, joining a corporate board, giving paid speeches, or writing down her experiences.
All in all, it almost looks as if being a Senator has prevented Sinema from becoming rich, and removing that barrier could lead to her multiplying her current net worth.
Insider trading involvement
Kyrsten Sinema has not participated in investing, and does not own individual stocks. Therefore, she cannot be accused of insider trading. Furthermore, she has not expressed her opinion on banning U.S. representatives from trading individual shares.
That said, she has drawn fire for covering hedge fund managers, law firm partners and private equity executives by protecting the carried interest tax loophole. In return, she raised at least $2 million from the securities and investment industry for her election campaigns since 2018.
Who is Kyrsten Sinema?
Kyrsten Lea Sinema was born on July 12, 1976, in Tucson, Arizona. Her parents divorced when she was a child, and her mother moved the family in with her stepfather. Sinema said that when her stepfather lost his job and home, the family moved into an abandoned gas station with no running water or electricity for more than two years.
Sinema started her political career in the Arizona State Legislature, where she served from 2005 to 2011. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, representing Arizona’s 9th congressional district, before moving to the Senate in 2019.
Although a member of the Democratic Party for most of her career in politics (until December 2022), Sinema is known for her centrist and independent approach, frequently splitting away from party lines. She frequently expressed socially progressive and fiscally conservative values and focused on social issues, abortion, same-sex marriage, healthcare, veterans’ affairs, and immigration reform.
The bottom line
Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth, estimated somewhere between -$20,000 and $85,000, makes her one of the poorest U.S. Senators. Despite her complex history, from homelessness to earning a PhD in justice studies, she prioritized politics before becoming rich. However, once she steps down as a senator, this may change.
Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.
FAQs about Kyrsten Sinema net worth
What is Kyrsten Sinema's net worth?
According to her publicly available 2023 financial report, Kyrsten Sinema’s net worth is between -$20,000 and $85,000.
Who is Kyrsten Sinema's husband?
Kyrsten Sinema married then later divorced Blake Dain. She is bisexual and currently not married.
Is Kyrsten Sinema religious?
Kyrsten Sinema has been reported as the only atheist member of the Congress. However, she has distanced herself from the label.
