Gloria Romero, former California State Senate Democratic majority leader, joins GOP: "Today I say goodbye, adiós, I've had enough"

Former California Congresswoman Gloria Romero announced Wednesday that she is leaving the Democratic Party. "Today I say goodbye, adiós, I've had enough," she said surrounded by Republican officeholders outside the state Capitol:

"I am now another lifelong democrat who is joining the growing number of people, including key groups such as latinos, who are leaving the democratic party."

Romero was a former assemblywoman and state senator, becoming the first female majority leader in the California Senate. Her term ended in 2008. Since then, she showed signs of discontent with the Democratic lineup, going so far as to write in a missive to fellow party members in 2021 that "the abject stupidity of the Party elites" was dooming the party, who had embraced "the vilest expressions of woke-ism" and disdained the importance of education and safety.

That year she also endorsed Republican Larry Elder over Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. These displays of Republican affinity led Democratic loyalists to point out Wednesday that Romero had, in fact, already switched sides.

By changing her party affiliation on voter registration, Romero seals the overtaking she will contribute to with her vote in November: "I will vote for Donald Trump this fall." Under Trump, her new party has become "the champion of working people."

"The pendulum is swinging"

"It takes real courage to step away from the Party you've led and stand for what is right," republican Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones argued. The decision, moreover, "shows her dedication to doing what’s best for California," regardless of partisan politics.

Jones also asserted that his party's new addition shows that "the pendulum is swinging" in a state that has been tinged dark blue since the 1990s. The Democratic Party today holds majorities in both state Houses, in addition to controlling the Governorship with Gavin Newsom.

"Sky-high prices, increasing crime, and record homelessness," the San Diego senator lists as some of the reasons he believes his party is swelling in its ranks. "For anyone else who is tired of witnessing the Democrat supermajority run this state into the ground, we have a seat at our table for you, too."

California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson also welcomed the new signee and invited "everyone" to join the party 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."

Rep. Kevin Kiley, who accompanied Romero in her speech in front of the Capitol, said that "a coalition for common sense" was being created.

Exodus of elected officials?

Romero's turn comes days after another similar announcement from a longtime Democrat: Shawn Nicole Thierry of the Texas House of Representatives.

"I have watched with dismay as the party I once knew has drifted far from its roots," Thierry wrote last Friday, it had become "almost unrecognizable—radicalized and increasingly out of touch with the values that millions of everyday Americans hold dear."

In its shift to the left, she explained, the formation had adopted policies she could not support "in good conscience," such as support for sex-change treatment for minors or the "dismantling" of Title IX.

"I have witnessed firsthand how the so-called 'liberal' left now stifles thoughtful debate, silencing dissent with an iron fist—demanding blind allegiance to ideology," she noted before also asserting that the Republican Party had become the champion of "economic empowerment" and parents.

This election cycle has seen several Democrats drop out of the ranks. The list includes national-level figures such as Senator Joe Manchin, and statewide, such as Representatives Francis Thompson (Louisiana), Tricia Cotham (North Carolina), Jeremy Lacombe (Louisiana), David Pritt (West Virginia), Mesha Mainor (Georgia), Mia McLeod (South Carolina) and Kelvin Butler (Mississippi).

Some have opted for the GOP, others have preferred to remain independents. Although the reasons vary, the idea remains that the blue party has abandoned them, moving away from its historical values. Since 1994, more than 80 Democratic state legislators switched to the GOP during their terms in office.

Another notable figure who has switched colors is former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. After jumping into the Democratic race, he charged that party elites were sabotaging his campaign to ensure President Biden's victory and announced he would run as an independent. Late last month Kennedy dropped out of the race and supported Donald Trump's candidacy.

Former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard also backed the Republican around the same time. Gabbard disaffiliated from the Democratic Party in 2022 and became a frequent critic of the Biden-Harris administration. She is now part of the team preparing Trump for his first debate with Kamala Harris next week.

In addition, both Gabbard and Kennedy are part of Trump's transition team.