Longtime liberal’s decision to ditch Democrats and join GOP met with MAGA praise

President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans are celebrating as another longtime Democrat has joined their Republican ranks in Florida.

State Rep. Hillary Cassel announced last week that she would change her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, becoming the second Democratic state lawmaker to switch parties after the November election.

In a Dec. 27 statement, Cassel wrote that her decision came from a “deep sense of responsibility” to her constituents.

“I will join the Republican Conference of the Florida House of Representatives because I believe in their vision for a better, more prosperous Florida,” she wrote in a statement.

Cassel won District 101, which includes parts of Fort Lauderdale, in November as a Democrat with more than 53 percent of the vote after first being elected as a Democrat in 2022.

But last week she claimed that as a Jewish woman she was troubled by her former party’s “inability to unequivocally support Israel.”

She also argued that she is “continually troubled by the current Democratic Party’s inability to engage with everyday Floridians.”

Cassel said she won’t always agree with Republicans, but said she would have “input, cooperation and respect.”

She is the second Florida Democrat to switch parties after winning re-election to join the Republican Party.

Earlier this month, state Rep. Susan Valdes also announced she would change her party registration to become a Republican for her final term.

Cassel won District 101 in Florida in November as a Democrat with more than 53 percent of the vote

The Florida GOP House Speaker celebrated Cassel’s move in a post welcoming her “to the team!”

With Valdes’ and now Cassel’s party registration changed, the Florida House has the largest Republican majority in its history.

President-elect Donald Trump also made an appearance and congratulated Cassel on her change in party membership this weekend.

‘I would further like to invite other disillusioned Democrats to switch parties and join us in this noble quest to save our country and make America great again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. THANK YOU HILLARY!’ he wrote on Truth Social.

While Republicans have praised the move, it has also drawn harsh criticism.

The full statement from Florida State Rep. Cassel on changing party membership

Critics accused Cassel of misleading her voters by running as a Democrat and switching parties after the election.

Some said it was fraudulent and argued she should have made the move before the election, while others called for her to resign and return donations.

During the campaign season, she was endorsed by LGBTQ advocates and abortion rights groups.

After the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, she criticized Trump online and warned of the threat to democracy.

In 2022, she ran for abortion rights, which would protect the LGBTQ+ community and fight for gun control measures and against climate change deniers.

In response to her party switch, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said it is not a time for her party to walk away or withdraw, but for self-reflection.

“Floridians put their trust in Rep. Hillary Cassel to fight for them, but unfortunately today they lost their representation in the Florida House,” she said in a statement.

‘Representative. Cassel’s decision to switch parties is deeply disappointing, but we cannot afford to turn our backs on the people of Florida,” she continued, noting that there are still 4.5 million Democrats in Florida .