Texas Democrat Switches Party, Says Republicans Better Suited To His Views

Another lifelong Democrat has switched to the GOP after claiming that his former party essentially left him.

Thrice-elected Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva has determined that in order to continue the “strong tradition of excellent law enforcement in Karnes County,” he’ll have to move forward as a Republican.

Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi said in a statement, “I am proud to welcome Sheriff Villanueva to the Republican Party. As Democrats increasingly abandon and cripple law enforcement, it is no wonder more people are turning to the Republican Party.”

The sheriff stated in his re-election campaign in 2020 that his office takes a “pro-active” approach to fighting crime, hunting down criminals “instead of waiting for them to commit crimes.”

The Blaze adds:

Villanueva joins other Texan lawmen and patriots — similarly committed to upholding the law and maintaining order — who have recently crossed the aisle or at the very least denounced the Democratic Party.

Terrell County Judge Dale Carruthers and Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara, both lifelong Democrats and Hispanic, switched parties earlier this year because of the Biden administration’s failed border policies, reported the Center Square.

Carruthers added that she “came from a Hispanic heritage, which was prominently Democrat. The chaos at the border and everything that’s been going on makes me realize that I needed to switch parties.”

“We are trying to protect the sovereignty of Texas. I am a constitutional judge and we are standing behind the constitution,” she noted further.

Meanwhile, Guevara, who had been a Democrat since 1992, said, “I’ve always ran as a Democrat and this is my first year to run as a Republican. I’m very grateful for Gov. Abbott for all he has done for Texas and continues to do for Texas, especially with our border crisis.”

Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez, who also had spent his adult life as a Democrat and who has been fighting cartel and gang activity for years, similarly emphasized that “the Democratic Party doesn’t represent us.”

Ryan Guillen, a pro-life and pro-Second Amendment state representative, announced he left the Democratic Party and ran as a Republican on Nov. 15, 2021. He won the general election on Nov. 8, 2022.

Guillen said his “fiscally conservative, pro-business, and pro-life values are no longer in step with the Democrat Party of today.”

“Friends, something is happening in South Texas, and many of us are waking up to the fact that the values of those in Washington, D.C., are not our values, not the values of most Texans,” said Guillen. “The ideology of defunding the police, of destroying the oil and gas industry, and the chaos at our border is disastrous for those of us who live here in South Texas.”