87-Year-Old New Jersey State Senator Says He Is Leaving GOP To Become A Democrat

Daniel ChaitinFebruary 14, 2023

New Jersey senator John Conyers has announced that he will be leaving the Republican Party in order to become a Democrat, as he seeks reelection.

Samuel Thompson (87 years old) claims that he took the decision to run for state senator because GOP leaders made it difficult. “abandoned” him. He believes that ageism was to blame.

“Do I want to stay with people that want to cut my throat like that?” Reporters heard him say that. According to The New Jersey Globe, which described the senator as being a conservative who is pro-life, pro-gun, and a supporter of former President Donald Trump.

Thompson said the GOP chairman in Middlesex County, which takes up part of the state senator’s legislative district, suggested he was “too old and might die in office.”

Rob Bengivenga (chairman) denied that he made those remarks. According to the New Jersey Monitor. Bengivenga did however indicate that the party was interested getting a new face into the state Senate.

“I was hoping the Senator would embrace it and work together as a mentor and advisor for the years to come,” He said it in an emailed statement The Associated Press reported the story.

Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, aged 63, was present earlier in the month. Announced that he would participate against Thompson in the June GOP primary for New Jersey’s 12th legislative district.

It’s unclear what the Democrats’ primary field will look like, but members of the party celebrated the prospect of adding to their majority in the state Senate.

“The Democratic Party has always been a big tent party, and I welcome Senator Thompson to our ranks,” Phil Murphy, Governor.

Despite the party swap, Thompson insists that he won’t change his voting habits.

“I am not a liberal; I’d put myself as a moderate conservative,” Thompson stated. “I will continue to vote the way that I vote – that is to say, from a moderate conservative position … I just got done meeting with the Democrats, and we didn’t seem to have any problems.”