Florida Republicans grow supermajority as Tampa Democrat switches sides

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Tallahassee Democrat

Tampa state Rep. Susan Valdes on Monday switched her party registration from Democrat to Republican. The move expands the GOP majority in the House to 86-34, the largest Republican majority in the House, according to a memo from Speaker Danny Perez, R-Miami.

In a statement, Valdes, who is term limited and was recently re-elected as a Democrat, said she didn’t want to spend the next two years being “ignored” by her party.

“In the House, I have long known that no one has a monopoly on good ideas,” Valdes wrote in a statement posted on X. “I will not waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community.”

Valdes was a former Hillsborough County School Board member who first ran for the House as a Democrat in 2018. She has frequently criticized Republicans, especially for harsh immigration policies and rhetoric.

Read more: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/09/susan-valdes-tampa-democrat-florida-house-rep-switches-to-republican/76862712007/

[Dennis Donovan]

1. Well, she can fuck right off... n/t

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

2. I expect more of this over the next year or so,

at the local, state and national levels. How much more remains to be seen. They'll call it "adjusting to the new reality" or something. There's certainly nothing preventing it, and Susan Valdes will probably be welcomed back if reality changes again, right?

[Skittles]

8. it's called OBEYING IN ADVANCE

and it is SICK

[pfitz59]

3. I wish there was a law against party switching

requiring the switcher to resign their post and stand for a special election. Seems to thwart the will of the people.

[cstanleytech]

4. Ya, I agree with you there.

[jimfields33]

5. We had a good deal in the 90's when republicans changed to the democratic

Party especially the senate. It was glorious. Jeffords was one of a few which if I remember right caused us to get the majority mid stream.

[Skittles]

6. FASCIST FLORIDA

[ZonkerHarris]

7. Fuck off lady

[BigDemVoter]

9. It is turning into a real hell hole down there.

I truly feel sorry for Florida Dems.

FL is a lovely state if you can afford the current home insurance rates & can tolerate the Fascist state government….

[CaptainTruth]

10. Tampa? That's gonna cost her the seat.

[Jose Garcia]

11. This is her last term as she is term-limited