State Democrats defect to Republican party
President Obama is reaching out to Republican lawmakers this week in an attempt to foster bipartisanship. However, a growing number of state Democrats are turning their backs on the party and joining Republicans. So far 13 politicians in five states have switched parties. Is the move a reaction to anti-Washington sentiment, an expression of personal political ideology or a reflection of a changing constituency?
We speak to state legislators who recently turned Republican: Former Democrats Walker Hines, Louisiana’s youngest state Representative and Ellis Black, a five-term member of Georgia’s General Assembly.
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