Posted on 06/30/2010 5:53:08 PM PDT by LdSentinal
BATON ROUGE -- State Rep. Simone Champagne of Jeanerette said today that she is leaving the Democratic Party to join the ranks of the Republicans.
Her change of party means that at least for the next few weeks, the balance in the 105-member House will be split evenly among Democrats and Republicans: 51 in each party. There are three independents.
On Aug. 1, Rep. Wayne Waddell, R-Shreveport, will leave the House after 12 years, giving the Democrats a one-seat advantage. House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, has not called the election for the conservative Shreveport district to pick Waddell's replacement.
House officials have indicated the election would piggyback one of the three elections this fall. Waddell submitted his letter of resignation Monday to Tucker, saying that he will be leaving to become director of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport Aug. 2.
The changes mark the first time in modern state politics the two parties have been evenly represented in the lower chamber. In the state Senate, Democrats still have the upper hand, 22-16 with one independent, Sen. Troy Hebert of New Iberia.
In a statement isused by the state GOP, Champagne said that although she was elected as a Democrat in 2007, "I have concluded after much discussion and prayer that I can no longer affiliate myself with a party that does not reflect my core values and beliefs. ... I must align myself with the party that most closely represents my vision for the 49th (House) District and the future of this great state."
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
At the national level a bunch of democrats converted during the Reagan years and corrupted the party to the point of making it irrelevent.
She’s a real principled politician, that one. Wait, what did I write.
Sounds like a stage name and actress would make up for herself.
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