Democrats have lost yet another member as Florida State Rep. Hillary Cassel, an attorney from Dania Beach, has defected to the GOP, stating that her former party “doesn’t represent my values.” Cassel stated in a post published on social media platform X that she fully backs state Republicans’ “vision for a better, more prosperous Florida,” and raising questions about the lack of support for Israel from her Democratic Party colleagues.
“As a mother, I want to help build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not their labels,” Cassel stated in the post. “As a proud Jewish woman, I have been increasingly troubled by the Democratic Party’s failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism.”
The former Democrat expressed her belief that the Democratic Party no longer possesses the ability to “relate to everyday Floridians,” going on to state that it also no longer represents the values she holds dear, a common refrain among many other Democrats who have fled the party and joined the GOP.
“I know I won’t always agree on every detail with every Republican, but I do know that I will always have input, collaboration, and respect,” Cassel went on to say. Many others who have taken Cassel’s path have also expressed concerns with attempts by Democrats to silence the speech of those they disagree with and the lack of freedom to differ with the collective on specific issues.
According to WUSF, Cassel’s announcement followed hot on the heels of another big switch by Tampa Rep. Susan Valdes who also ditched Democrats to join the Republican Party. Valdes made the switch after failing to secure the chair position of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee. The Florida House of Representatives updated Cassel’s party affiliation right away on its website.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power was thrilled to hear of Cassel’s switch. “I’ve (known) her for a long time and I know she will be a valuable addition to our team!” Power wrote on X. Not everyone was happy with the announcement. Rep. Angie Dixon (D-Jacksonville) ripped into Cassel for the switch, calling it “a betrayal of the voters who entrusted her to represent their values as a Democrat.”
President of the LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, Kristen Browde, also expressed displeasure with Cassel’s political defection in a statement. “One has to wonder whether Rep. Hillary Cassel is abandoning her principles as well as her party and the voters who elected her. This is a representative who sought our endorsement and promised that she would defend equality. Now she is joining the forces of those who have sought to destroy it. This is inexplicable as well as disappointing. And it means that Cassel, like fellow turncoat Rep. Susan Valdes, can no longer be trusted by voters of either party.”
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