Louisiana Republicans Gain Historic Control After Democrat Switches Parties, Marking First Time in 210 Years
Louisiana Republicans have achieved historic power in the state after a former Democratic lawmaker changed parties, attributing the move to his previous party's shift to the left.
State Rep. Francis Thompson announced his decision to switch parties and join the GOP, stating that the Democratic Party's stances were incompatible with his Christian faith. This change has given Louisiana Republicans a supermajority in the state's House, a first in the state's 210-year history, as reported by Newsweek.
With the GOP now holding a supermajority in both the state Senate and the state House, they possess the authority to override any veto from Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards.
“Let me clear: Nothing has changed,” Thompson stated during his announcement. “There are values and principles that I firmly hold onto that guide my decisions. My conservative voting record over my years in the Legislature speaks for itself.
“The push the past several years by Democratic leadership on both the national and state level to support certain issues does not align with those values and principles that are a part of my Christian life,” he added.
Thompson, who frequently voted with the GOP and was "the longest-serving Democrat in the Louisiana state legislature," indicated that his decision was the result of extensive consideration.
“This is a happy day, but it’s not a decision that was made in a day,” Thompson told the News Star.
“I’ve struggled with this and have been thinking about it for more than a year when it has become clear that the Republican Party better represents my values and philosophy today,” he added.
Republican leaders in the state acknowledged that Thompson's move was largely symbolic but still significant.
“Today marks a pivotal moment for the Louisiana Legislature, as it has reached a supermajority for the first time in modern history,” House Majority Leader Blake Miguez said, according to Newsweek.
“Representative Thompson’s decision to change parties after 48 years sheds light on the evolving nature of political affiliations and highlights the importance of this milestone for the legislature,” he added.
“Francis having joined our ranks is further evidence of Louisiana’s yearning for conservative values and a rejection of Washington liberal politics,” Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich said.
“This is an open invitation for all those Louisianans who don’t know where to go,” said state Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, according to The Advocate.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Sam Jenkins of Shreveport commented that Thompson’s move was essentially a formality.
“While Rep. Thompson’s decision is disappointing, it is not surprising,” Jenkins said. “Moreover, his decision does not change our focus. Louisiana families are our priority — not party politics. House Democrats are laser-focused on delivering results that improve people’s lives and move our state forward.
“We are confident that voters share our values and will elect more Democrats in October to join the fight to increase wages, improve education, and hold insurance companies accountable,” he added.
The state’s legislative session is scheduled to begin on April 10.
According to Newsweek, from 1879 to 2004, Democrats held fewer than 70 seats in the Louisiana House for only four years. However, over the past 19 years, the number of Democrats in the House has steadily declined.
Last month, the entire city council in a New Jersey town also switched their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, citing the "nastiness" and "vitriol" of national politics and the Democrats' increasing leftward shift.
According to the Daily Record, town leaders in East Hanover, N.J., made the switch last week, as noted by Mayor Joseph Pannullo.
“Municipal leaders have a responsibility to best represent their constituents, and it is our belief this change of party is in the best interest of the community,” Pannullo said in a statement. “As the nastiness, rhetoric and social media vitriol of national politics continues to infiltrate local governance, we collectively determined this was the best course of action to keep the focus on local issues impacting our community.”
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