A Democrat in the Louisiana House is switching parties.
According to The Advocate, Democrat State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe shared Monday he is joining the Republican Party.
Another Democrat, Rep. Francis Thompson, also switched to the Republican Party giving them a supermajority, per the outlet.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Sam Jenkins said in a statement LaCombe still holds “the same values” as the Democratic caucus.
“House Democrats will continue to stand up for the working people of Louisiana,” Jenkins said.
He continued, “We look forward to working with Rep. LaCombe during this legislative session to increase wages, lower costs, improve our schools and pass insurance reform that benefit Louisiana families and small businesses.”
The report noted LaCombe won his House seat back in 2019.
He notably defeated Republicans with 68% of the vote in a special election and 62% of the vote in a full term election, as The Advocate reported.
Because of LaCombe’s switch, Democrats now only have 32 members in the 105-member House.
There are 71 Republicans and two independents.
LaCombe is not the only state rep to have switched party affiliations recently.
North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham recently changed her party affiliation to Republican.
“The modern-day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me and to so many others throughout this state and this country,” she said during a speech.
Cotham added, “They have pushed me out.”
As The New York Times noted, Cotham’s switch granted Republicans narrow veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the legislature.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) expressed his disappointment with Cotham’s decision.
“Representative Cotham’s votes on women’s reproductive freedom, election laws, L.G.B.T.Q. rights and strong public schools will determine the direction of the state we love,” Cooper said, per the Times.
He suggested it is “hard to believe she would abandon these long-held principles, and she should still vote the way she has always said she would vote when these issues arise, regardless of party affiliation.”
