Florida House Member Switches From Democrat to Republican

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-12-10 12:43:09 | Updated at 2024-12-25 16:37:32 2 weeks ago

Florida House Member Switches From Democrat to Republican
Townhall ^ | 12/9/24 | Rebecca Downs

Posted on 12/10/2024 4:40:59 AM PST by CFW

Florida, which has grown increasingly red and seen plenty of red waves over recent years, already enjoys trifecta control in the state government. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will have one more fellow Republican, though, with state Rep. Susan Valdes switching her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Her district includes West Tampa, with such a party change being effective immediately.

Early on in her statement, Valdes explained that it was "partly out of habit" that she was a Democrat. "I have done so as a Democrat partly out of habit -- I come from a family of Democrats -- and partly because I believed the Democrats were the party most concerned with the working families I represent," her statement's opening read in part.

"In the House, I have long known that no one has a monopoly on good ideas. I will not waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community," her statement continued.

[snip]

Before Valdes' switch, the makeup in the Florida House was 85-35. Republicans also enjoy a 28-12 majority in the state Senate.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...

TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: democratswitch; elections; florida; legislature

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Look at those numbers! Florida is a solid red state.

I suspect we will continue to see more of this. I'm always a bit wary of these switches since I wonder if they are making the change just to keep being elected in an area that has moved to the right since their original election. Some will make the change but then continue to vote with their former colleagues. So I take a "wait and see" attitude and watch how they vote.

However, it sounds as if Valdes is serious and realizes that she identified as (D) simply out of habit but now sees that the party does not reflect her or her constituent's values.

1 posted on 12/10/2024 4:40:59 AM PST by CFW

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