Gloria Romero, former Democratic majority leader in the California state Senate, has switched to the Republican Party.
She has also endorsed Donald Trump for president.
“Today, I say goodbye. Adios. I’ve had enough. I am now another near lifelong Democrat who is joining the growing number of people, including key groups like Latinos, who are leaving the Democratic Party,” Romero said.
“This is not the Democratic Party that I once championed. I do not recognize it anymore, and I cannot continue. I changed my voting registration today as the sun was rising to Republican, which has, under Donald Trump, become the champion of working people, the big tent. And indeed, I will vote for Donald Trump this fall,” she continued.
WATCH:
BREAKING: California Democrat Gloria Romero, who served as the State Senate Majority Leader, has just announced that she’s leaving the Democrat party and becoming a Republican and will be voting for Trump this November
“Today, I say goodbye. Adios. I’ve had enough. I am now… pic.twitter.com/RK5wCOyQTw
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 4, 2024
Los Angeles Daily News reports:
Romero, 69, was born in Barstow. She was elected to the California Assembly in 1998 and to the state Senate in 2001. She represented the cities of Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, Duarte, El Monte, Industry, Irwindale, La Puente, Monterey Park, Rosemead, West Covina and Whittier.
ADVERTISEMENTRomero was the first woman to serve as the California Senate’s majority leader and was termed out in 2010.
“Like many frustrated Democrats, Senator Romero no longer recognized her former party,” California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said at the news conference. “We welcome everyone to join us in this fight to make safer communities for our families, better schools for our children and a stronger economy for us all to thrive — because California deserves so much better.”
Millan also said Romero is part of a larger trend, noting that California Republicans saw their voter registration increase by about 200,000 voters over the last year while California Democrats saw their registration decrease by more than 100,000.
In her speech, Romero provided a laundry list of reasons for exiting the party. This included the loss of parental rights in schools, increased crime, the rising cost of living, California’s homeless crisis, excessive funding for foreign wars and the lack of border security.
Former Democratic CA Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero announces she’s changing her voter registration from Dem to Republican.
On Dem Party she says “I think it’s taken a giant leap toward authoritarianism and censorship.”
She says she will vote for Trump this fall. pic.twitter.com/9t0gZteb01
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) September 4, 2024
Today former Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero @gloriajromero joined the Republican Party!
We’ll be on Fox News with Trace Gallagher at 8:40p PT. Join us! pic.twitter.com/pdhmLiS5n7
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) September 5, 2024
From the Washington Examiner:
Romero also hit the Democrats on women’s rights, criticizing the undermining of Title IX protections, and going too far on abortion. Immigration, crime, and the rising cost of living were topics of her criticism as well.
“But perhaps my biggest disconnect with my old party now has been over school choice, education freedom, and the right to have quality schools for all, especially as congressman Kevin Kiley and I have fought together, especially for school choice for poor and minority children who are trapped in chronically failing schools,” she added.
Romero concluded that she left the party “with sadness, but it is with the belief that this is best for the future. I stayed for as long as I could. I tried reforms, I spoke out, I voted. Today, I turn to the future. A land of opportunity and free speech. I am excited to join a party that was started by the greatest American, Abraham Lincoln, and the challenges of building a new great republic.”
ADVERTISEMENTAfter leaving office in 2010, Romero has been increasingly critical of the Democratic Party. In a November 2021 op-ed for the California Globe, she warned about a decline of the party unless an overhaul was undertaken.
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