A California lawmaker has officially left the Democrat Party and defected to the GOP, declaring that today’s left “is not the party that I signed up for decades ago.”
California state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, who represents the northeastern portion of California’s Central Valley, appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Fox News @ Night” to explain her decision to leave the Democrat Party.
“In the past two years that I’ve been working in the Senate, I have not recognized the party that I belong to,” she said. “The Democratic Party is not the party that I signed up for decades ago.”
“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 added.
She went on to explain that she was tired of fighting an “uphill battle” to force her fellow Democrats to make positive changes, and instead chose to join the Republican Party because her GOP colleagues “have a plan to fix California, and I want to be part of that.”
California’s fourth Senate district, which Alvarado-Gil represents, is mostly rural and was represented by a Republican from 1993 until Alvarado-Gil won her election in 2022 — which was the result of a top-two primary where six Republican candidates split 59.2% of the vote, allowing the two Democrats in the race to split the rest and win the top two slots. Alvarado-Gil then ran in the general against her Democrat opponent, winning with 52.6% of the vote.
“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 said.
In a follow-up statement about her decision, Alvarado-Gil argued that the “status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”
Meanwhile, California Republicans have praised Alvarado-Gil’s decision and welcomed her to their party.
In a post on X, the California State Senate’s Republican caucus called her “Pragmatic. Fierce. Strong. Republican.”
Pragmatic. Fierce. Strong. Republican.
Welcome to the @CASenReps Caucus, @AlvaradoGilSD4! pic.twitter.com/8DCyMllcsA
— CA Senate Republicans (@CASenReps) August 9, 2024
“I look forward to continuing the work we do to secure a safe and prosperous California for all our constituents,” the caucus’s chair, State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, wrote in a post on X.
As Senate Republican Caucus Chair, I would like to welcome Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to the Republican Caucus.
I look forward to continuing the work we do to secure a safe and prosperous California for all our constituents.@AlvaradoGil2026— Senator Kelly Seyarto (@SenatorSeyarto) August 9, 2024
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) also posted on X about the news, saying that 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 added.
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…
— Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) August 9, 2024
Thanks to Alvarado-Gil, the GOP now has nine seats in California’s 40-member Senate. She has two more years in office to work with Republicans before she is up for reelection in 2026.
California Assemblyman Joe Patterson (R) noted in a post on X that the state needs more people to switch to the GOP, especially voters.
“I’m never going to be mad at a Democrat for becoming a Republican. People can be suspicious of the motivations, but if [the] GOP is going to pick up seats in California, we need more than just one state senator to switch,” he wrote.
“We need millions of Californians. Good news is it has been happening as every legislative district picks up voter registration,” Patterson added.
I’m never going to be mad at a Democrat for becoming a Republican. People can be suspicious of the motivations, but if GOP is going to pick up seats in California, we need more than just one state senator to switch. We need millions of Californians. Good news is it has been…
— Joe Patterson (@Patterdude) August 9, 2024
