A moderate California Democrat who helped her party flip a seat in the state Senate just flipped that seat back to the opposition, announcing that she was changing her party affiliation.
State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil is switching parties to become a Republican. She is fed up with the Democratic Party’s far-left direction. Up for reelection in 2026, she represents a Republican-leaning district.
“I’ve been a Democrat my whole adult life. My first vote as an 18-year-old new voter was as a Democrat,” said Alvarado-Gil. “The Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that I signed up with as a new voter. It has changed. The pendulum has swung so far to the left that it has disengaged from what true Californians value—our middle-class values, our families, our diversity in California. Frankly, I just could not support an ideology over the will of the people.”
EXCLUSIVE: California Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil is SWITCHING PARTIES from Democrat to Republican. She’s giving her first interview to @TheIssueIsShow
“Seeing how the inner workings of the majority party work in Sacramento, I have to step back & say is this good?…My answer is… pic.twitter.com/CXyLyqs5Tz
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) August 9, 2024
A former educator, Alvarado-Gil is dismayed over the lack of progress with basic literacy skills while the crime and homelessness rates increase in the state.
“The reality is this: In California, we have seen the pendulum swing so far in the areas of crime, homelessness, and for so long in public education,” she said. “Before coming into office, I was an educator in charter schools, and I selected that path because I knew that we were leaving too many kids behind here in California.”
“We have succumbed to a public education system where it is okay for kids not to read and write by third grade, where we have to actually have statewide goals,” Alvarado-Gil added. “We have not made even a dent in public education to say that we can even be in the top 10 in the US.”
In what amounts to a rare breath of fresh air, the politician said it’s her duty to serve all her constituents.
“So this is my belief… we are elected to serve our district, whether we are a Democrat, Republican, or no party preference. My district has all different party affiliations,” Alvarado-Gil said. “Because I was a Democrat did not mean that I can only serve and represent Democrats. That is not what democracy is about.”
“I have taken the position of true representation. By moving from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, I am sending a message,” she continued. “I am sending a message to every Democrat who is wondering what has happened to the Democratic Party of today, and do my values align with the Democratic platform of today? And if the answer is no, it takes courage to step away from what you have known, right? And so for me, this is a courageous step in the right direction as a true representative of California and the values that lead us here in California.”
As for how serious she is about her switch, Alvarado-Gil said, “I am going to stay a Republican until I am put in the ground. I’m committed to this.”
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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