Yet another Democratic lawmaker has switched political affiliation and joined the Republican Party, marking the third such occurrence in the past month.
According to The Advocate, Louisiana State Representative Jeremy LaCombe has left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party. However, there has been no explanation provided as to why LaCombe decided to switch affiliations, and he has maintained a low profile since the announcement.
Previously, other former Dems have said they no longer identify with the far-left political machine the party has become.
LaCombe’s decision to switch political affiliations is another significant blow to Democrats in the state. Despite having control of the governor’s mansion, Democrats in Louisiana have been rendered virtually powerless.
In March, Louisiana State Representative Francis Thompson, a colleague of LaCombe’s, also joined the Republican Party. The move has given the GOP a robust supermajority in the state legislature, which is capable of overriding vetoes.
The Advocate reported:
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.
In April, North Carolina State Representative Tricia Cotham made a highly publicized switch to the Republican Party, which gave the GOP a supermajority in the state’s House of Representatives. That development stands in contrast to LaCombe’s switch, which was not extensively covered by the media.
During a passionate press conference, Cotham criticized her former party for shunning moderates and legislators who deviate from the Democrats’ hard-left policies.
“If you don’t do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you,” Cotham said. “They will try to cast you aside.”
Like thousands of others, Rep. @TriciaCotham is done with the Democratic Party:
"If you don't do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you. They will try to cast you aside." pic.twitter.com/aheJEhFaZH
— GOP (@GOP) April 5, 2023