A state lawmaker in Louisiana left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party this week, following a fellow Pelican State Democrat who left last month and gave Republicans a supermajority in the state House.
Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, who represents portions of parishes west and north of Baton Rouge, said Monday that he would change his party affiliation to Republican, according to local news outlet The Advocate.
“House Democrats will continue to stand up for the working people of Louisiana,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Sam Jenkins said. “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.”
LaCombe, who has bucked his party on votes in the past, did not provide any specific reasons for the change, but it follows the recent defection of another Democrat, Rep. Francis Thompson, whose switch officially gave Republicans a veto-proof majority in the House.
“Let me be clear — nothing has changed,” Thompson said last month. “There are values and principles that I firmly hold onto that guide my decisions. My conservative voting record over the years I have served in the Legislature speaks for itself.”
Democrats in the state reacted with disappointment to Thompson’s decision but were not taken off guard.
“While Rep. Thompson’s decision is disappointing, it is not surprising,” Jenkins said. “He already caucused with Republicans. Moreover, his decision does not change our focus. Louisiana families are our priority — not party politics.”
LaCombe and Thompson have previously voted in favor of pro-life bills, a move increasingly out of step with most of the Democratic party. Both voted last June to increase the criminal penalty for abortion.
During his campaign for the House, LaCombe emphasized issues regarding education, infrastructure, economic development, and public safety.
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With the recent changes, Republicans in the state House have a veto-proof supermajority, holding 71 of the 105 seats, meaning they can override the veto of moderate Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. A Republican supermajority also controls the state Senate.
The party switches in Louisiana follow the announcement of North Carolina Rep. Tricia Cotham, who left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party last week.
“The modern-day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me and to so many others throughout this state and this country,” Cotham said. “They have pushed me out.”
Cotham’s switch gives the GOP a veto-proof majority in the state House, adding to the already veto-proof majority in North Carolina’s Senate.