A Texas Democrat recently moved to the Republican Party. This occurred in protest of the Democrat Party’s left-wing endorsement of trying to defund police programs and unleash turmoil on the southern border.
State Rep. Ryan Guillen stated Monday during a news conference he will run for reelection as a Republican for his position in South Texas. The lawmaker also claimed the Democrat Party’s far-left beliefs no longer align with his own.
After much consideration and prayer with my family, I feel that my fiscally conservative, pro-business, and pro-life values are no longer in-step with the Democrat Party of today, and I am proudly running as a Republican to represent House District 31. pic.twitter.com/CRKOhVnSG4
— Rep. Ryan Guillen (@RyanGuillen) November 15, 2021
Guillen specifically mentioned his party’s support for cutting funding for police and the escalating situation at the southern border under President Biden.
Guillen stated something is occurring in South Texas. Many people are waking up to the realization the ideals of those in Washington, D.C. are not their ideals or the principles of the majority of Texans.
He went on to say the mentality of defunding police, undermining the oil and gas business, and creating turmoil at the border is devastating for individuals who reside in South Texas.
Guillen Has Seen the Light, Hinojosa Remains Angry
The former Democrat gained his seat in the Texas House by over 17 points in the 2020 election and has been a member for two decades. Guillen’s move is a victory for Republicans, as they seek to gain momentum along the traditionally blue border.
Guillen was accompanied at his presentation in Floresville by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.
Dee Duncan, head of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), said on Monday John Lujan’s upset win previously this month (in a district with a vast bulk of Hispanic people) already demonstrated Texans are frustrated with Democrat leadership’s screw-ups.
He also noted Ryan Guillen’s party switch demonstrates that even more.
Duncan went on to say today’s Democrat leaders are so concentrated on trying to appease their fringe-left core. They do such outrageous things, like placing teachers’ unions in front of parents.
They try to push socialist taxation and spending ploys, while constantly battling for open borders policies. Now, even elected representatives within their party are unable to endorse their leftist agenda.
Rep. @RyanGuillen of Rio Grande City is switching parties as TXGQP infects South Texas, but mainly after redistricting made his district to favor the GQP. Just like his suck up buddy from Kingsville, Lozano.
Fix the cancer 🤬, don't become PART of it. https://t.co/3304Y0G4su
— Peche Lele (@LelePeche) November 16, 2021
Duncan stated Republicans embraced Guillen as a member of the party. The GOP also looks forward to continuing with him, as he collaborates with his newfound GOP colleagues to achieve answers for the citizens of his district.
Gilberto Hinojosa, the head of the Texas Democrat Party, went after Guillen over the move. He accused the newly declared Republican of valuing his career over sticking up for Texans.
Hinojosa stated while Texas Democrats are sorry to see Guillen sell his soul and sell out South Texans, they are pleased to clear the field for a true Democrat to run.
He went on to say Texas Democrats will continue to battle the most pressing issues confronting Texas families. Those issues include rebuilding the disaster-prone electrical grid, providing more people with healthcare, and ensuring working Texans have a real shot to move ahead.
Harris Jokes About Border Issues
The persistent border problem has been a thorn in the Biden administration’s side; it’s a cancer Biden and Harris were supposed to address. The border situation has been mostly neglected by them since they entered office.
When NBC’s Lester Holt informed Harris earlier this year she hadn’t been to the southern border yet, she joked she hadn’t traveled to Europe either.
Harris visited France this week when she was chastised for impersonating a French woman. She previously assessed the border issue in El Paso, Texas, a city joining the border, but not near Rio Grande Valley, the focus of the crisis.
The impact of the border issue may also help the Republican Party’s already expanding Hispanic vote.
