Longtime Democrat, California Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil announced she is leaving her party and joining the Republican Party “in their fight to fix California.”
Gil said that after working in her state’s senate for the past two years, she no longer recognizes the party she once belonged to, adding that the Democratic Party is not the party she “signed up for decades ago.”
“I can’t, in good conscience, with the values that I have and my commitment to represent the voters of California, continue to call myself a Democrat,” Alvarado-Gil told Fox News.
She was elected in 2022 for her tough-on-crime approach and represented District 4, which includes El Dorado, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Madera, Merced, Mono, Nevada, and Inyo counties. She won against a fellow Democrat by more than five percentage points after they both defeated six Republican candidates in the primary.
“Since my first day in office, I have put the interests of my constituents first. I was elected to serve the public, not a political ideology," Alvarado-Gil said in a statement. "The status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”
California Sen. President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D) said it was disappointing to see Alvarado-Gil leave the party but wished her the best of luck.
“They trusted her to represent them, and she's betrayed that trust,” he said in a statement. “One silver lining is MAGA Republicans are gaining a pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ+ right, anti-Trump colleague.”
Alvarado-Gil said that since the first day of office, she had wanted to serve the “public, not a political ideology.”
The California GOP welcomed Alvarado-Gil with open arms, describing her as a “Pragmatic, fierce, strong Republican."
Pragmatic. Fierce. Strong. Republican.
— CA Senate Republicans (@CASenReps) August 9, 2024
Welcome to the @CASenReps Caucus, @AlvaradoGilSD4! pic.twitter.com/8DCyMllcsA
“It takes courage to stand up to the supermajority in California, and Marie has what it takes,” State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) said of Alvarado-Gil.
Welcome Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to the Senate Republican Caucus.
— Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) August 9, 2024
It takes courage to stand up to the supermajority in California and Marie has what it takes. Her record on tackling crime, protecting communities from sexually violent predators, and prioritizing her…
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