Susan Valdés dumps Democrats, joins Republican Party
State Rep. Susan Valdés is switching political parties, dumping Democrats in favor of the GOP.
Valdés announced her switch in a post on X. The move came less than a week after Valdés lost a bid to chair the Hillsborough County Democratic Party. Members instead voted for Vanessa Lester despite Valdés having major backing from local elected officials and unions. Lester was seen as the more progressive choice to lead the party through a period of rebuilding.
Now, Valdés said she “will not waste” her final two years in office — this is her final term before term limits bar her from running for re-election. In a lengthy statement, Valdés lamented that the Democratic caucus’ “leadership expects me...
