Texas Judge Leaves Democrat Party and Joins GOP

Just as Florida state Rep. Susan Valdés (R) joins the GOP, a Texas Judge is following suit. Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina has announced that he is joining the GOP, citing issues with trusting the Democrat Party.

Judge Tijerina represents Webb County, a county that is on the U.S.-Mexico border, and a county that President Donald Trump (R) flipped in the 2024 Presidential Election.

During an interview with Fox & Friends, Judge Tijerina made the announcement that he was leaving the Democrat Party, expressing that "over the years, I've watched the Democrat Party shift further and further to the left, and leaving the values that I hold dear to my heart." "I've always been a conservative, and the radicalization of the national Democrats pushed me away a long time ago. For that reason, I'm proud to announce I will be leaving the Democratic Party and joining the Republican Party," the judge added.

Earlier this year, Texas state Rep. Shawn Thierry (R) announced a similar decision, citing that "extreme policies" were coming out of the Democrat Party.

The departures come after a contentious election season, which left Democrats with significant losses across the country. Moreover, Democrats failed to engage voters, which led to dismal voter turnout on their behalf.

Judge Tijerina further explained his decision to leave the party by sharing concerns over immigration and the border, the oil and gas industry, and he also shared issues with transgender women in sports. However, the border is his most pressing concern.

"When you look down here in South Texas, our Democrats are really not the same as national Democrats," the judge commented. "We're very conservative for the most part."

President Trump won Webb County by two percentage points, leaving him with 50.7 percent of the vote. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden (D) won Webb County by north of 23 points with 61.1 percent of the vote. With President Trump's victory in the county, it is the first time that a Republican presidential candidate has won the county since 1912.