Florida, which has grown increasingly red and seen plenty of red waves over recent years, already enjoys trifecta control in the state government. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will have one more fellow Republican, though, with state Rep. Susan Valdes switching her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Her district includes West Tampa, with such a party change being effective immediately.
Early on in her statement, Valdes explained that it was “partly out of habit” that she was a Democrat. “I have done so as a Democrat partly out of habit — I come from a family of Democrats — and partly because I believed the Democrats were the party most concerned with the working families I represent,” her statement’s opening read in part.
“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,” her statement continued.
Valdes’ statement also gave a shout out to House Speaker Daniel Perez, noting he “has laid out a vision for the House that focuses on empowering House members to