Summary
Florida state Rep. Susan Valdes, a lifelong Democrat, abruptly switched to the Republican Party, citing frustration with being ignored in the Democratic caucus.
Valdes, who represents District 64 near Tampa, said she wants to focus on solving problems for her community rather than protesting.
Her defection bolsters the Florida GOP’s historic 86-34 House majority, drawing criticism from Democrats who called her move a betrayal of her constituents.
Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, welcomed Valdes, praising her as a strong community advocate and valuable addition to their party.
I don’t understand what switching parties even really means in this context. The parties aren’t written into the framework in the first place, is she just going to run Republican next time? Is she flipping on her positions? Do they all hang out at Republican county clubs? Is she compromising and kissing the ring to further her own policies? Is she just picking the most politically advantageous moves and actually has no strong beliefs? (Probably the last one)
Yes to all.
Pretty much just the last two… and her district will probably benefit greatly from her swap as she’ll be able to pursue agendas she was previously unable to effectively push.