OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:22 PM – Friday, August 9, 2024
California Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, a former Democrat, has decided to leave the party behind in favor of the GOP, according to her announcement on Thursday.
“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. However, “the status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state. It is after deep reflection I announce that I will be joining the Senate Republican Caucus and the California Republican Party in their fight to fix California.”
Alvarado-Gil was elected in 2022.
The news of her party switch marks the first conversion of a California Democrat state lawmaker in the middle of their term in the last 80 years.
Nevertheless, regardless of the senator’s decision, the California Democrats still hold a supermajority in the Senate with 31 out of the 40 seats in their favor.
Meanwhile, Alvarado-Gil noted that she has “[witnessed] the supermajority push California in the wrong direction.” She has also called the current Democrat Party “unrecognizable,” adding that it “lacks the will to fix the problems plaguing this state.”
Soon after, California State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-Calif.) spoke out against Alvarado-Gil’s decision, claiming that she has been “disappointing for voters.”
“They trusted her to represent them, and she’s betrayed that trust,” McGuire said. “One silver lining is MAGA Republicans are gaining a pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ+ rights, anti-Trump colleague. We wish her the best of luck,” he concluded in a condescending tone.
District 4, the district that Alvarado-Gil represents, has reportedly become much more conservative since she has held her position in office.
“I cannot stand by a party that ignores the will of the people and disregards the core American values that my very community supports and believes in,” she added.
In recent years, the senator has been known for her tough-on-crime approach and “fiscally conservative” perspective. She has also previously worked with Republicans on labor legislation.
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