State reps switch parties (D to R), giving GOP veto-proof super-majorities

[Anti Federalist]

North Carolina Democrat Lawmaker Switches to Republicans, Delivers Veto-Proof Majority

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/...na-democrat-lawmaker-switches-to-republicans/

SIMON KENT 5 Apr 2023

North Carolina State Rep. Tricia Cotham (D), an EMILY’s List-endorsed lawmaker, has switched her party affiliation to Republican and delivered the GOP a veto-proof majority in the process.

Upcoming legislation on immigration, abortion, and voting will all now be directly impacted by Cotham’s move to the the House Republican caucus.

Cotham of Charlotte quietly joined the state’s GOP with a favorite on a tweet welcoming her to the party’s ranks the only public recognition, WRAL News reported.

The GOP has scheduled a Wednesday news conference at party headquarters featuring Cotham as RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel made her own observation of the switch.

“Even in a Biden district in a purple state, Democrats are reading the writing on the wall: liberal policies are too extreme and they’re failing Americans. Ahead of 2024, Republican momentum is growing and we are proud to welcome Tricia Cotham to the Republican Party,” McDaniel said.

House Speaker Tim Moore said Tuesday that Cotham and chamber leaders will “make a major announcement,” AP reports.

The move is already being flagged as a major political setback for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and allies in their attempts to block conservative initiatives during the governor’s final two years in office.

 

[Snowball]

 

[Occam's Banana]

Democrats dealt another blow: third lawmaker leaves party, switches to Republican within a month
Louisiana state Rep. Jeremy LaCombe is the third Democrat in less than a month to switch parties
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-another-blow-lawmaker-leaves-party-switches-republican
Brandon Gillespie (10 April 2024)

Democrats were dealt another blow from within their own ranks this week as yet another state lawmaker declared he was leaving the party.

According to a Monday report by The Advocate [see second article below - OB], a Louisiana-based newspaper, state Rep. Jeremy LaCombe announced he had left the Democratic Party and would be registering as a Republican.

It was not immediately clear what prompted LaCombe's departure, however he is now the second Louisiana Democrat in less than a month to switch party affiliations, and the third nationwide after another state lawmaker in North Carolina did the same.

Last month, Louisiana state Rep. Francis Thompson gave Republicans in the state House a supermajority after he switched his party affiliation, and earlier this month, North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham gave Republicans in the state House a supermajority with her switch as well.

The switches come as President Biden faces a near-record low approval rating among key groups, including women (43% now vs. 42% low), voters ages 45+ (41% vs. 39% low), suburban voters (41% vs. 39% low), rural voters (31% vs. 30% low) and Democrats (81% vs. 78% low) – Democratic men in particular (79% vs. 78% low), according to a recent Fox News poll.

Biden is also at a low mark of 41% approval among suburban women.

Additionally, a separate recent poll found that only a third of Americans believed Biden deserved to be re-elected in 2024.

---

Another Louisiana House Democrat has switched parties to Republican
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_r...cle_ac78be0c-d7bc-11ed-95aa-e3d462777bb0.html
Sam Karlin (10 April 2023)

Democrats in the Louisiana House have lost another member, the second party switch in less than a month amid a yearslong decline in Democratic electoral fortunes.

State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, a Democrat who was elected in 2019 to District 18, spanning parts of Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes, said Monday he is switching his party affiliation to Republican.

Republicans in the state House recently gained a supermajority – a crucial threshold for overriding vetoes and passing tax measures – because another Democrat, Rep. Francis Thompson of Delhi, switched to the GOP. In that case, the state GOP held a press event touting the news.

LaCombe’s switch was lower profile. He confirmed the move Monday, but didn't state his reasons.

His decision comes as the Republican-led Legislature convenes in Baton Rouge for its regular legislative session, during which lawmakers will tackle insurance issues, decide where to spend an influx of additional tax dollars and take on a host of culture-war issues in an election year.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Sam Jenkins said in a statement that LaCombe still embraces "the same values" as the Democratic caucus.

"House Democrats will continue to stand up for the working people of Louisiana," he said. "We look forward to working with Rep. LaCombe during this legislative session to increase wages, lower costs, improve our schools and pass insurance reform that benefit Louisiana families and small businesses."

LaCombe easily won his House seat in 2019, beating out Republicans with 68% of the vote in a special election and 62% of the vote in an election to a full term.

When LaCombe ran for the state Senate last year to replace moderate Republican Rick Ward, Democrats saw it as their best opportunity to flip a seat, which would have been a small positive step after years of declines. Donald Trump won the district with 61% of the vote in 2020, but Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards also won it with 55% in 2019.

But LaCombe lost badly to a Republican, Caleb Kleinpeter, a former member of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council. Republicans maintain a supermajority in the state Senate.

LaCombe’s switch gives Democrats only 32 members in the 105-member House. Republicans now have 71, and there are two independents. Veto overrides, tax measures and some other important decisions require 70 votes in the House to pass.

Louisiana was once dominated by Democrats, but in recent years the GOP has assumed immense power. While Edwards won two improbable terms as governor, all other statewide elected officials are Republicans. The GOP holds a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature, and they asserted their power by drawing district maps that favor Republicans in last year’s redistricting cycle.

Party registration has also tilted toward Republicans, though Democrats still maintain an edge in registered voters. The latest data from the Secretary of State shows 39% of registered voters are Democrats, while nearly 34% are Republicans. Twenty-seven percent are independents.