A long-time Democrat in Louisiana has switched party affiliations, giving Republicans the upper hand in the Pelican State for the first time in two centuries.
On Friday, the Louisiana Republican Party announced that state representative Francis Thompson — the state’s longest-serving Democrat — had decided to switch parties.
“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 in a news conference. “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.”
Thompson explained in a statement that his decision to switch parties was due to the fact that he’s always voted conservative.
“Let me clear—Nothing has changed,” the Monroe representative said. “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’s switch gives Republicans a 70-vote supermajority in the legislature that would allow them to override a veto by the state’s Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.
Given Thompson’s voting history and the fact that he already caucuses with Republicans, it came as no surprise to some. In 2022, Thompson endorsed a concealed carry bill that was mainly supported by the GOP after years of failures and signed onto Republican-led legislation exempting religious institutions from state public health that Edwards ultimately vetoed.
More and more Democrats are also making the switch from blue to red thanks to President Joe Biden’s failed economic policies.
In February, local officials in East Hanover, New Jersey, made the switch from Democrat to Republican. Among those who switched is longtime 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.”
