Texas State Rep Deals Blow to Democrats, Switches to GOP: The Values of Those in DC Are Not Our Values
Texas state Rep. Ryan Guillen is sending shockwaves through Texas politics as he announced his decision to switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP this week. Guillen’s district, which represents Rio Grande City…
Texas state Rep. Ryan Guillen is sending shockwaves through Texas Politics as he announced his decision to switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP this week.
Guillen’s district, which represents Rio Grande City along the southern border, is being redrawn to be extremely favorable toward Republicans, which likely solidified his move.
“Friends, something is happening in South Texas, and many of us are waking up to the fact that the values of those in Washington, D.C., are not our values, not the values of most Texans,” Guillen said, according to the Texas Tribune.
“The ideology of defunding the police, of destroying the oil and gas industry and the chaos at our border is disastrous for those of us who live here in South Texas.”
Although former President Donald Trump did not win in all of South Texas, the 2020 election did show gains for Republicans in the region, according to NBC News.
In McAllen, Texas, a Republican narrowly won the mayoral race in June, showing a shift across all levels of government.
According to Mark Jones of Rice University, Guillen was considered the least liberal member of his caucus.