Gloria Romero, a former California State Senate Democratic majority leader, made headlines this week by announcing her decision to leave the Democratic Party and join the GOP.
The Washington Examiner reported that the decision came as a surprise to many, given Romero's extensive history within the Democratic establishment. She cited growing ideological differences with the current direction of the Democratic Party as the primary reason for her departure.
Romero criticized her former party for stifling democracy, undermining women's rights, and failing on key issues like education, leading to her defection.
Romero made her announcement at a press conference hosted by Republican commentator Steve Hilton. The event was livestreamed on Hilton’s X account, where Romero officially declared her change in political affiliation.
Surrounded by several Republican lawmakers, Romero expressed both disappointment with the Democrats and optimism about joining the GOP. She stated that she had officially changed her voter registration to Republican earlier that morning.
During her speech, Romero emphasized her discontent with the current state of the Democratic Party. She highlighted issues surrounding democracy and accused her former party of stifling the democratic process.
Comparing the Democrats to Latin American dictators, she alleged that they had rigged primaries and executed a political coup against President Joe Biden.
Romero, who was a Democratic convention delegate for the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Barack Obama at three conventions, said the party had drifted too far from the principles she once admired. "This is not the Democratic Party that I once championed," Romero declared, adding that she no longer recognized the party she had spent decades supporting.
A significant part of Romero’s decision to switch parties revolved around education. She expressed her deep frustration with the Democratic Party’s stance on school choice, particularly its impact on low-income and minority students. "Perhaps my biggest disconnect with my old party now has been over school choice, education freedom, and the right to have quality schools for all," Romero stated.
Romero’s collaboration with Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley on the issue of education freedom was a notable factor in her transition. She praised Kiley’s efforts to promote school choice, especially for children trapped in failing schools.
Romero’s advocacy for education reform has long been a central theme in her political career, and her criticism of the Democrats on this issue appeared to be a key reason for her decision to join the GOP.
Romero’s departure from the Democratic Party marks the end of a long and storied relationship. As the former Senate Democratic Caucus chair and Senate majority leader, Romero was once a prominent figure within the party. Her political heroes growing up were Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy, and she was deeply involved in the Democratic Party’s political landscape for years.
However, Romero has become increasingly critical of the party since leaving office in 2010. In a November 2021 op-ed for the California Globe, she warned of the Democratic Party’s decline, predicting that it could face political extinction if it did not change course.
Romero did not hold back in her critique of the Democratic Party’s handling of several key issues. In addition to democracy and education, she accused the party of undermining women’s rights, particularly with regards to Title IX protections and abortion policies.
She also expressed concern over the party’s management of immigration, crime, and the rising cost of living in California.
She underscored her belief that the Democratic Party was no longer serving the interests of working-class Americans. In contrast, Romero pointed to the Republican Party, under the leadership of Donald Trump, as a champion of these values.
Romero expressed both sadness and hope during her announcement. "With sadness, but it is with the belief that this is best for the future," she said, explaining that her decision to leave the Democratic Party had not been made lightly. She stressed that she had tried to reform the party from within, but ultimately felt that it was no longer a viable option.
She went on to express excitement about her new political future with the GOP, referencing the party's historic roots. "I am excited to join a party that was started by the greatest American, Abraham Lincoln," she said. Romero described her decision as one motivated by a belief in free speech, opportunity, and the building of a new "great republic."
In a statement that further underscored her political shift, Romero revealed that she planned to vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
"I changed my voting registration today as the sun was rising to Republican, which has, under Donald Trump, become the champion of working people," she explained. Romero's endorsement of Trump is significant, given her long-standing ties to the Democratic Party.
