Recently, a Democratic California state senator announced she would leave her party and officially join the Republican Party. State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil explained her change from red to blue, saying that what the left has devolved into “is not the party that I signed up for decades ago,” where the current Democratic rhetoric is virtually unrecognizable to her.
Sen. Alvarado-Gil said, “In the past two years that I’ve been working in the Senate, I have not recognized the party that I belong to. The Democratic Party is not the party that I signed up for decades ago.” She continued, “I can’t, in good conscience, with the values that I have and my commitment to represent the voters of California, continue to call myself a Democrat.”
Alvarado-Gil maintained that her priority is to serve the interests of her constituents and that her loyalty is not tied to a political ideology. “Since my first day in office, I have put the interests of my constituents first. I was elected to serve the public, not a political ideology,” Alvarado-Gil continued.
The former Democrat explained that it is an “uphill battle” to make substantive advancements with California liberals. She expressed a desire to work with her fellow GOP legislators who “have a plan to fix California, and I want to be part of that.” In another statement, the former Alvarado-Gil said, “The status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”
Following her monumental announcement that she would be jumping across the aisle, California Republicans welcomed her change in affiliation with open arms. “I look forward to continuing the work we do to secure a safe and prosperous California for all our constituents,” said State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, the caucus chair.
Furthermore, Republican California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones also expressed his anticipation of working with Alvarado-Gil. “Welcome Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to the Senate Republican Caucus. It takes courage to stand up to the supermajority in California and Marie has what it takes. Her record on tackling crime, protecting communities from sexually violent predators, and prioritizing her constituents speaks for itself,” he wrote on X.
The minority leader illustrated the issues that the California GOP faces and how Alvarado-Gil can help the fight. “Senate Republicans are committed to addressing the real issues facing communities across the state and look forward to adding an eager spit fire like Marie to the cause. It’s no secret that California’s political landscape is heavily weighted to the left, but with increasing attention on issues worsened by Democrat policies, we can continue making strides in our fight,” he continued.
Jones voiced optimism that the tide is changing in California. “The pendulum is swinging in this great state. If we’re going to fix California, we need pragmatic leaders like Marie who have seen firsthand the impact of the supermajority’s policies on communities and want to change it for the better. For anyone else who might be tired of witnessing the supermajority run this state into the ground, we have a seat at our table for you, too,” he concluded.
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Featured image credit: California Legislature, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sd04_headshot_(1).jpg
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