Florida Rep. Susan Valdes chose to betray her constituents, who elected her as a Democrat nearly a month ago, by changing her party affiliation to Republican. In the upcoming legislative session, Valdés will caucus with the GOP, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“In the House, I have long known that no one has a monopoly on good ideas,” Valdes wrote in a statement posted on the Bad App. “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.”
Florida Politics reports:
Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House Minority Leader who also represents parts of Tampa, said in a statement that she was “surprised and disappointed” in Valdés’ decision.
“Rep. Valdés was elected by her constituents as a Democrat to fight for our shared values here in Tallahassee and has consistently and publicly shared that she feels the Republican Party does not adequately represent her constituents or beliefs,” Driskell said.
She also criticized Valdés for the timing of her announcement.
“It is sad that she has elevated her own aspirations above the needs of her district. It feels especially egregious in light of the fact that just last week, she ran for Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee Chair and lost by a substantial margin,” Driskell continued. “Susan should have trusted her constituents, not pulled a bait-and-switch after the fact. Nevertheless, this does not change what the Democratic Caucus is here to do. We will never stop fighting for what we believe: all Floridians, including those in Rep. Valdés’ district, deserve the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe.”
DeSantis welcomed her to the GOP:
It sounds like Valdes is going through a case of sour grapes after losing her run for Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee Chair. I’m sure her constituents, who did not vote for a Republican, rightfully feel deceived.
