the other arizona senator

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly has spoken out in defense of his fellow Democratic congressional colleague Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who, following her opposition to filibuster reform, was censured at the hands of the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP), the Arizona Republic reports.

“Senator Kelly does not support the censure,” a Kelly campaign spokesperson told the Republic on Tuesday. “While they came to different decisions on this vote, he looks forward to continuing to work with Sen. Sinema on Arizona priorities, as they have done during his first year in the Senate to pass critical infrastructure investments that will create good-paying jobs.”

Kelly’s remarks could provide a crucial bit of warm sentiment for Sinema, “who is now facing open talk of a primary challenge from Arizona Democrats and fellow senators,” the Republic notes. Last week, much to the ire of the party, both Sinema as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) voted against the implementation of a “talking filibuster” rule in an attempt to pass voting rights legislation. Kelly, for his part, voted alongside most other Senate Democrats.

“I want to be clear, the Arizona Democratic Party is a diverse coalition with plenty of room for policy disagreements, however on the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear,” said ADP Chair Raquel Terán in a statement released following the vote to censure Sinema. She has failed “to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy,” Terán added, per the Republic.