State Rep. Shawn Thierry announced she is switching to the Republican party after being defeated in her primary for supporting bills against the LGBTQ+ community.
Thierry, a Houston democrat was ousted by her primary challenger Lauren Ashley Simmons in the May runoff. According to the Texas Tribune, Democrats heavily supported Simmons because Thierry supported bills to bar gender-transitioning care for minors and removing some books from libraries, both measures supported by Republicans.
In a statement, Thierry wrote she switched parties because the Democratic party has changed since she joined it.
“The Democratic Party has veered so far left, so deep into the progressive abyss, that it now champions policies that I cannot, in good conscience, support policies like promoting sex changes for children,” Thierry wrote.
“I am leaving the left because the left has abandoned Democrats who feel betrayed by a party that has lost its way, lost its commitment to hard working families,” she said.
In her time as a lawmaker, Thierry supported bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community, such as barring transgender college athletes to play on teams that align with their sex assigned at birth, and removing sexually explicit books from school libraries, a measure that critics argue could hurt the LGBTQ+ community.
Democrats targeted Thierry for breaking lines and voting for Republican causes. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said Thierry had “chosen to continue to betray the values and priorities of her constituents” and “once again put money and title above principle.”
“If Thierry looks at a party taking away the freedom for women to control their bodies, cutting healthcare for millions, and led by a racist, petty convict and says I want in on that mess, I think that says more about Shawn Thierry than about the Democratic Party,” Martinez Fischer said in a statement. “Adios.”
Republicans, on the other hand, welcomed Thierry.
“Welcome to the Republican Party, [Thierry]!” House Speaker Dade Phelan said. “We are thrilled to have you join us in championing the rights of parents, protecting the innocence of our children, and ensuring all voices are heard.”
