Dem
52
Ties
1
GOP
47
No, this is not an item about Sen. John Fetterman (D?-PA). It is about a number of (former) registered Republicans who have turned on Donald Trump and are running for office as Democrats. Some have even held public office as Republicans. Switching parties is not something new, but in the past it was rarely successful. It didn't work for Arlen Specter or Charlie Crist, but times are different now.
One of the arguments the party switchers are making is that they understand what Republicans want and how they think and that is valuable knowledge, The highest profile switcher is David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who is the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida. He is running against Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is extremely Trumpy. Donalds is also Black, which always plays a role in the South. Jolly is white.
Jolly has said that he believes 30% of the state consists of hard-core MAGA types and they are out of reach. He is therefore focusing on winning over traditional Republicans who have soured on Trump, along with independents. Most Democrats will probably vote for him even though he used to be a Republican because the alternative is so much worse.
Another former registered Republican in a high-profile race is vice admiral Nancy Lacore (ret.) who is running as a Democrat for the House seat Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) will retire from in January. Lacore was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth, mostly because she was a high-ranking woman and he doesn't like them. Lacore said: "It's a big tent, right?" She may have a point that South Carolina voters don't elect Democrats anymore, but if she isn't viewed as "one of those" Democrats, she might have a chance. The district, SC-01, which covers Charleston and the Low Country, is only R+6 and the current House generic poll is D+6.6, so maybe she has a chance, especially given her 35-year career in the Navy. Her opponent is attorney Jenny Honeycutt (R).
Still another former registered Republican running for the House is former TV anchor Janelle Stelson, who is challenging Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) in PA-10, which includes Harrisburg. The district is R+3, even though it is in the Alabama/Kentucky part of Pennsylvania. There, being a former Republican is probably more of a help than a hindrance.
Yet another switcher is Rebecca Bennett, who is running against the occasionally present but mostly absent Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) in the EVEN NJ-07 district. Like the governor, Rebecca "Mikie" Sherrill, with whom she shares a first name, she was also a Navy helicopter pilot for 15 years. Bennett said that while in the military, she didn't serve Democrats or Republicans; she served Americans. In an EVEN district against a frequently absent incumbent in a blue state, Bennett has an excellent chance, even as a party switcher. (V)