Growing number of Americans switch from Democrat to Republican

0

A growing number of Americans are changing their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican over the past year, with some discussing why they did so in interviews with Fox News.

In all, over the past year, the network reported that more than 1.7 million voters have done so.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is also facing serious political headwinds heading into November’s midterm elections. A whopping 32 Democrats have announced they will not seek re-election. The Senate will also be in place in the fall.

Dorchester County, S.C. council member Harriet Holman and former Cincinnati Sheriff Jim Neil joined “Fox & Friends First” early Tuesday to explain their own reasons for making the switch.

“[The Democratic Party] went wrong when they stopped listening to the people when they continued to give out instead of giving a hand up… and it’s going to cost taxpayers so much money in the future that our children are going to be paying for all this free money that’s being given out right now,” Holman said.

Neil’s reasoning came from his background in law enforcement.

“All their policies are failing us,” he said. “But, from a law enforcement perspective… as a lawman, I cannot support sanctuary cities.

“Also, the current bail bond reform, I cannot support it, and also current Democrats are after law enforcement to defund us and also to strip us of our qualified immunities,” he continued.

Fox News adds:

Neil shared with host Carley Shimkus that he was elected to serve as a precinct executive for the GOP in Hamilton County, Ohio just last month and was subsequently appointed to the executive committee, signaling voters’ eagerness to support him under his new party affiliation.

“Not only have I switched to Republican; I have an elected position in the party,” he said.

Holman shared that she has seen others moving away from the Democratic Party as well, describing a “huge shift” that starts with voters rejecting leftist policies one by one.

“We are going to continue to leave the Democratic Party because their policies are not working for all Americans,” Holman said, adding that the GOP is one opportunity for those willing to work hard and put the time in.

The switch in party affiliations came over the course of the past 12 months, as policies enacted by President Joe Biden and spending bills passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress have been roundly blamed for rampant inflation that has seen record-high average gas and diesel fuel prices, rising food and rent costs, and an enduring supply chain crisis as well as a chaotic, porous southwestern border.

Interestingly, Republicans are gaining a lot of ground in the suburbs of both large and medium-sized cities, “where voters who supported President Biden in 2020 are struggling with inflation and growing increasingly critical of Democratic social issues,” Fox News reported, citing data compiled by The Associated Press.

The outlet adds:

While not the final nail in the coffin for Democrats, the voter trend is yet another indicator that Republicans stand to make large gains in Congress and state governments across the country in November.

Biden’s administration has scrambled to address skyrocketing gas prices, as well as inflation that sits at a 40-year high and shows no signs of slowing down.

Members of Biden’s own party have criticized the White House response to the economic crises, saying he is being too passive.

“I support the president’s efforts, but we need a bolder vision and faster action,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times earlier in June.

“To meet the moment, Mr. Biden should convene an emergency task force empowered to lower prices and address shortages. We need an all-out mobilization, not just a few ad hoc initiatives reacting to headlines,” he added.

There are other signs that Democrats are looking at a blowout come November.

Fifty-five members of Congress are not running for re-election this year, which breaks down to 6 U.S. Senators and 49 House lawmakers.

Of those 49 House lawmakers who will not run for re-election, 32 of them are Democrats.

“The 55 retiring members include 32 Democrats and 23 Republicans, accounting for 11.9% of the Democratic caucus and 8.8% of the Republican caucus. The 11.9% retirement rate among Democrats is the largest since 2014 when 8.5% of Democrats did not run for re-election,” Ballotpedia reported.

“The 8.8% retirement rate among Republicans is the second-lowest since 2014. The only year with a lower retirement rate was 2016 when 8.6% of Republicans retired. Democrats had their lowest retirement rates out of the past five cycles in 2018 and 2020, when 7.4% and 3.4%, respectively, of the caucus, did not seek re-election,” the report continued.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here