Jumping Ship: Dems Lose Third State Legislator to Republican Party in a Month

Another state legislator, Louisiana representative Jeremy LaCombe, has announced his switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, marking the third such switch in a month. Louisiana’s Democratic Party had previously lost Rep. Francis Thompson, who switched parties and gave Republicans a supermajority, allowing them to override the governor’s vetoes. Similarly, North Carolina Democrats suffered a similar setback when Rep. Tricia Cotham switched allegiances, giving the Republicans veto-proof control.

LaCombe has not given any remarks about the move, but the former Democrat confirmed the switch to the Advocate, a local publication. LaCombe was first elected in 2019 and had received 68 percent of the vote in a special election and 62 percent of the vote in a regular election, according to the Advocate.

Chair of the Louisiana House Democratic Caucus Sam Jenkins believes LaCombe still holds the same values as before, and they look forward to working with him during this legislative session. In Louisiana, Thompson’s switch generated more excitement, with Republicans holding a press conference to celebrate their win. Thompson is Louisiana’s longest-serving legislator, having served for nearly 50 years. He cited the Democratic Party’s lack of alignment with his Christian values and principles as the reason for his switch.

In North Carolina, Cotham shared that her switch was due to the modern Democratic Party becoming unrecognizable to her. She claimed that the party tried to control her and used personal attacks against her and her children. She believes the party wants to vilify anyone with free thoughts, judgments, and solutions. Cotham’s ultimate goal is to work with individuals to achieve real results, rather than engage in endless workshops and meetings.