Florida State Rep. Susan Valdes, representing the 64th House District, has switched political parties from Democratic to Republican, citing disillusionment with Team Blue.
#BREAKING: Florida Democratic Rep. Susan Valdes switches registration to Republican, saying her previous party “ignore[d] the needs of [her] community”
She said Speaker @Daniel_PerezFL‘s vision for the coming session inspired her to want to be part of the GOP caucus… pic.twitter.com/WI6ZJPhPH3
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) December 9, 2024
Having joined the Florida Legislature in 2018, Rep Valdes was recently elected for the fourth time as a Democrat. Her defection represents a shifting political landscape as Florida gets redder. Over the years, the Sunshine State has transformed from a Swing State to a solid GOP stronghold, thanks to the coalition that Donald Trump has built.
Valdes immediately joins the Republican Conference in the Florida House of Representatives, forming the GOP supermajority.
“In the House, I have long known that no one has a monopoly on good ideas. I will not waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community,” she said in a statement.
Valdes said she was “tired of