Democratic Congresswoman Flips to GOP: 'Blindly Followed a Vision'

A Georgia state representative has switched her political allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans, citing a change of heart and values.

Mainor was elected in 2020 to represent the citizens of House District 56 in the Democratic stronghold of Atlanta, where she is originally from. She ran and won her primary by over 20 percentage points, successfully campaigning for issues including mental health, the environment and government accountability, according to her campaign website.

Her shift in partisanship is expected to provide more power to the current Republican majority in the Georgia House of Representatives.

"My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party," she tweeted today. "I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn't a political decision for me. It was a a [sic] MORAL one. I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own."

Manor later tweeted that she didn't leave the Democratic Party but that it was the other way around, due to Democrats' embrace of "left-wing radicalism, lawlessness, and putting the interests of illegal aliens over the interest of Americans."

She also said the Democratic Party doesn't have her community's best interests at heart, according to Capital Beat, a news service in Georgia.

"As a lifelong Democrat...I blindly followed a vision that is far from reality," she added. "It is time to put people and sound policy above politics and false narratives."

She was reportedly spurred to change her party affiliation after receiving criticism from Democratic colleagues for voting with Republicans on multiple pieces of legislation during this year's General Assembly, notably a controversial school voucher bill—which failed when rural state representatives voted against it due to a lack of private-school alternatives in their regions.

Mainor has continued to attempt to pass the legislation, according to Georgia news outlet State Affairs, calling it the "parent's choice bill." She reportedly also intends to advocate for victims' rights and greater prosecutorial oversight in the legislature's next session.

"Members of the Democrat Party have publicly slandered me in every way imaginable," Mainor said during a press conference earlier today at the Georgia Capitol, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. "If it's not your values to support kids in schools where only 3 percent can read, I don't have the same values."

Newsweek reached out to Mainor via phone, email and social media for comment.

Her decision has been met with praise from fellow conservatives and dismay from Democrats.

"I've watched politics for a long time and I don't think I've ever seen anybody switch when they're in such a heavily Democratic area—and they're running for reelection," State Representative David Wilkerson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Democratic State Senator Josh McLaurin in April tweeted a picture of a $1,000 check with no recipient, intended to find challengers to Mainor's reelection campaign following the school voucher push.

Georgia Republican Chairman Josh McKoon welcomed Mainor to the House GOP Caucus, according to Capitol Beat.

"This is a historic day for Georgia Republicans," McKoon said. "Our party stands for empowering parents to be advocates for giving their children the best education possible."

Last year, former Hawaii Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic Party, which she referred to as "an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness."

U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema also said goodbye to the Democratic Party in 2022, deciding to register as an independent.

Newsweek reached out to Georgia's Republican and Democratic parties via email for comment.