WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� If last month's election wasn't painful enough for Florida Democrats, they're losing another state House seat after one of their members announced Monday that she's switching parties.
State Rep. Susan Vald茅s, a former school board member who was reelected as a Democrat last month, said on X that she is 鈥渢ired of being the party of protesting.鈥�
Vald茅s ran to be chairperson for her local county鈥檚 Democratic executive committee earlier this month. She won her current term by nearly 5 percentage points but can't run for reelection again because of term limits.
Republicans have controlled the governor鈥檚 office and both branches of the Legislature since 1999. Vald茅s is serving her final two years before leaving office due to term limits. Republicans now have an 86-34 majority in the House.
鈥淚 got into politics to be part of the party of progress,鈥� Vald茅s wrote. 鈥淚 know that I won鈥檛 agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.鈥�
House Speaker Daniel Perez reposted Vald茅s鈥� statement and welcomed her into the House, where Republicans have a supermajority of 86-34. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said she was surprised and disappointed by Vald茅s鈥� announcement.
鈥淚t is sad that she has elevated her own aspirations above the needs of her district,鈥� Driskell wrote in a statement on X.
Stephany Matat, The Associated Press
