Florida just got a little redder. On Monday, State Representative Susan L. Valdés, a lifelong Democrat, announced that she would switch to the Republican Party for her last two years in office. The Florida House of Representatives already has a Republican supermajority, but Valdes makes it a little stronger, growing it to 86 Republicans compared to just 34 Democrats.
Valdés represents Florida's 64th District, which is located in the West Tampa area and known as something of a purple community. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, she defeated Republican Maura Cruz Lanz by 5% in her last bid for reelection.
In a statement posted on X, Valdés said that she grew up in a family of Democrats and always assumed it was the party most concerned with the working families she represents. The Tallahassee Democrat also reports that Valdés has been critical of Republicans in the past, largely over "harsh immigration policies and rhetoric."
Valdés states that "no one has a monopoly on good ideas," and she will not waste her "final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community." She adds, "I love my community, and I will continue to fight every day to benefit the people of West Tampa, Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. And in my heart, I know the best way to do that is to stand with Speaker Perez and join the Republican supermajority in the Florida House of Representatives." You can read the entire statement here:
Florida's Republican leadership, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, welcomed Valdés to the GOP. In his own post on X, he pointed out that the Sunshine State now has the largest Republican majority in the history of the Florida House:
Representative Daniel Perez, the current Speaker of the House, also welcomed Valdés. "I so rarely get to send a communication solely in my role as Republican leader, but I am thrilled today to announce that Representative Susan Valdes has changed her voter registration from Democrat to Republican,” he said, adding "We all know Susan as a fierce advocate for her community, and a person of uncommon common sense. She will be a great asset to our Republican team."
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Of course, Democrats weren't happy. Rep. Fentrice Driskell, who serves as the Florida House Minority Leader, scolded Valdés in a statement of her own. "It is sad that she has elevated her own aspirations above the needs of her district," she said, adding that she was "surprised and disappointed."
Valdés has been in politics since 2016. Her first position was a seat on the Hillsborough County school board. She was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Several of her most recent bill sponsorships have focused on education and related issues.
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