John Lee, the Democratic mayor of North Las Vegas has had enough of the Democratic Party’s “radicalism” in his state and announced on Tuesday he is switching his allegiance to the Republicans.
Today, I switched political parties. The Democratic Party is broken. It’s time to bring people together to get things done. It’s time to stop shouting and start solving problems. pic.twitter.com/PUDf5frc5D
— John Lee (@MayorJohnLee) April 6, 2021
Lee voted twice for Donald Trump and had been wooed in the past by state Republicans. He now claims to be “the most prominent Democratic elected official to switch party registration to Republican following President Joe Biden’s inauguration.” I’m sure he’s a legend in his own mind, but he’s right about the Nevada Democratic Party. A recent party election saw every seat won by a Democratic Socialist. In protest, every paid staff member resigned.
This was the Harry Reid Democratic Party — a juggernaut that turned a red state reliably blue. As the Nevada Independent put it, “Say Goodbye to the Most Effective Democratic Party in the Country” after socialists swept to power.
The real irony here, of course, is that these revolutionaries have taken over a party that has been a well-oiled machine since 2008. With four straight presidential victories, two Democratic U.S. senators, three of four House members, five of six constitutional officers and both houses of the Legislature, what exactly is this revolution supposed to change?
Well, it got John Lee to switch parties.
“Though I’ve been a registered Democrat on paper my entire life, I made the switch in my heart a long time ago, because on some things, there’s simply no compromise,” he said in a statement. “That’s why I voted for President Trump twice. That’s why I had an A+ rating from the NRA and their endorsement in my time in the state senate. I refuse to compromise my pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment values. I know there are countless others who want to make the switch, because it means the difference between hope and despair for their children and grandchildren. I hope they join me.”
Prior to running for mayor, Lee served two terms in the Assembly from 1996 to 2000, and two terms in the state Senate from 2004 to 2012. Lee lost a state Senate re-election bid in 2012 in the primary election to fellow Democrat and current office-holder, Sen. Pat Spearman.
After winning election as mayor of North Las Vegas in 2013, Lee helped shepherd the city through fiscal troubles that saw the city shed half of its staff, reduced its budget by $20 million and drastically reduced services, while seeing its bond rating drop to junk status. Lee has been a strong proponent of economic development, which has included a concentrated effort to build out the Apex industrial park and streamline permitting processes for new construction.
Lee appeared on Fox and Friends Tuesday morning and made it clear that the Democratic Party left him, he didn’t leave the party.
The working class, or working men and women of this country, and also the small business owners are not a part of the conversation anymore. It all has to do with the elitists and it has to do with the socialists. That is not the agenda that I have in mind for this country of the future…
When you’re a pro-life Democrat, a pro-gun Democrat, and you’re a very conservative person, that’s not really well known in the Democratic Party anymore. And so for me to hang on as long as I did, hoping the party would change, it didn’t, it got worse. So therefore, I found a new place that I can put my allegiance to and help. Once again, forget about the last eight years. It’s the next four years that predict the future.
Trump narrowly lost Nevada in 2020, so the state Is certainly in play. Recent moves by Democrats to radicalize the party could make the task of flipping the state that much easier.
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