WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — As if last month’s elections weren’t painful enough for Florida Democrats, they are losing another seat in the state House after one of their members announced Monday she is switching parties.
State Rep. Susan Valdés, a former school board member who was re-elected as a Democrat last month, said on X that she is “tired of being the protester.”
Valdés earlier this month sought to chair her local county’s Democratic executive committee. She won her current term by almost 5 percentage points, but cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
Trusted news and daily treats, straight to your inbox
See for yourself: The Yodel is the source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
Republicans have controlled the governor’s office and both branches of the legislature since 1999. Valdés is serving her final two years before leaving office due to term limits. Republicans now have an 86-34 majority in the House of Representatives.
“I entered politics to be part of the party of progress,” Valdés wrote. “I know I will not agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know I will be welcomed into their party and treated with respect.”
House Speaker Daniel Perez reposted Valdés’ statement and welcomed her to the House of Representatives, where Republicans have an 86-34 supermajority. Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, said she was surprised and disappointed by Valdés’ announcement.
“It is sad that she has placed her own ambitions above the needs of her district,” Driskell wrote in a statement about X.
