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List of party switchers in the United States

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Main article:Party switching in the United States

Part of thepolitics series

Party politics

Political spectrum

Majorideologies

Types

Leaders and organization

Internal elections

Party discipline

Party systems

Coalitions between parties

Lists of political parties

Politics portal

Switches by Democrats

[edit]

Democratic to Republican

[edit]

1850–1899

[edit]

1855 –Reuben Fenton, while U.S. representative fromNew York (1853–1855 and 1857–1864), latergovernor of New York (1865–1868) and U.S. senator fromNew York (1869–1875)
1856 –Simon Cameron, while U.S. senator fromPennsylvania (1856–1861 and 1867–1877) andUnited States secretary of war (1861–1862)
1856 –Galusha A. Grow, while U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (1851–1863 and 1894–1903), later 28thspeaker of the United States House of Representatives (1861–1863)
1856 –Hannibal Hamlin, whileU.S. senator for Maine (1848–1861 and 1869–1881), latergovernor of Maine (1857) and15th vice president of the United States (1861–1865)
1856 –Glenni William Scofield, while U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (1863–1875)
1860s –Ambrose Burnside, laterGovernor of Rhode Island (1866–1869) and U.S. senator from Rhode Island (1875–1881)
1860s –Benjamin Franklin Butler, later became U.S. representative fromMassachusetts (1867–1875 and 1877–1879) andgovernor of Massachusetts (1883–1884)
1860s –James M. Hinds, later U.S. representative fromArkansas (1868)
1864 –Thompson Campbell, former U.S. representative fromIllinois (1851–1853)
1865 –John A. Logan, while U.S. representative fromIllinois (1853–1862 and 1867–1871), later U.S. senator fromIllinois (1871–1877 and 1879–1886)
1865 –Knute Nelson, later U.S. representative from Minnesota (1883–1889), governor of Minnesota (1893–1895), and U.S. senator from Minnesota (1895–1923)^[1]
1867 –John Adams Dix, formerUnited States secretary of the treasury (1861) & U.S. senator fromNew York (1845–1849); latergovernor of New York (1873–1874)
1869 –David P. Lewis, latergovernor of Alabama (1872–1874)
1870 –James Lawrence Orr, formerspeaker of the United States House of Representatives (1857–1859) and U.S. representative (1849–1859), latergovernor of South Carolina (1865–1868)
1893 –James A. Walker,lieutenant governor of Virginia (1878–1882), later U.S. representative forVirginia (1895–1899)
1896 –Irving W. Drew, former New Hampshire state senator, later U.S. senator from New Hampshire (1918)^[2]

1900–1949

[edit]

1904 –Harry M. Wurzbach, later U.S. representative from Texas (1921–1929 and 1930–1931)^[3]
1911 –Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, latergovernor of New Mexico (1919–1921) and U.S. senator fromNew Mexico (1928–1929)^[4]
1933 –Raymond Moley, adviser to PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt^[5]
1939 –Wendell Willkie, later Republican nominee for president in 1940^[6]
1940 –Jack Porter, challenger toLyndon Johnson in the 1948 Texas Senate elections^[7]
1946 –Rudolph G. Tenerowicz, former U.S. representative fromMichigan (1939–1943)^[8]
1947 –John Aspinwall Roosevelt, son of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt^[9]
1948 –J. Thomas Watson, formerFlorida Attorney General (1941–1949)^[10]
1949 –Joseph A. McArdle, former U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (1939–1942)^[11]
1949 –Rush D. Holt Sr., former U.S. senator fromWest Virginia (1935–1941)^[12]

1950–1959

[edit]

1951 –John Tower, later U.S. senator from Texas (1961–1985)^[13]
1952 –Alphonzo E. Bell Jr., later U.S. representative from California (1961–1977)
1952 –Henry Hyde, later U.S. representative from Illinois (1975–2007)^[14]
1955 –Ben Adamowski, laterCook County State's Attorney^[15]
1956 –Johnston Murray, former governor of Oklahoma (1951–1955)
1958 –Phil Ferguson, former U.S. representative from Oklahoma (1935–1941), Republican nominee for Governor of Oklahomain 1958
1958 –Odell Pollard, later chair of the Arkansas Republican Party

1960–1969

[edit]

1960 –Robert Daniel, later U.S. representative from Virginia (1973–1983)
1960 –Claude R. Kirk Jr., latergovernor of Florida (1967–1971)^[16]
1960 –Arthur Ravenel Jr., South Carolina state representative, later U.S. representative fromSouth Carolina (1987–1995)
1960 –Marion Hartzog Smoak, laterChief of Protocol of the United States (1972–1974)
1961 –Jack Cox, former Texas state representative
1962 –Jim Gardner, later U.S. representative (1967–1969) and lieutenant governor (1989–1993) ofNorth Carolina
1962 –W. Don MacGillivray, California state representative
1962 –James D. Martin, later U.S. representative fromAlabama (1965–1967)
1962 –David L. McCain, Florida Supreme Court justice
1962 –Ronald Reagan, while an actor and formerScreen Actors Guild president,^[17] later 33rdgovernor of California (1967–1975) and 40thpresident of the United States (1981–1989)
1962 –Floyd Spence,South Carolina state representative, later a U.S. representative from South Carolina (1971–2001)
1962 –Dave Treen, later U.S. representative from Louisiana (1973–1980) andgovernor of Louisiana (1980–1984)
1963 –FitzGerald Bemiss, Virginia state senator
1963 –James H. Boyce, later chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party
1963 –M. Patton Echols, Virginia state senator
1963 –Burnet R. Maybank Jr., formerLieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1959–1963)
1963 –Stanford Morse,Mississippi state senator
1963 –Rubel Phillips, formerMississippi public service commissioner
1963 –Edward Lunn Young, later U.S. representative from South Carolina (1973–1975)
1964 –Arthur Glenn Andrews, later U.S. representative from Alabama (1965–1967)
1964 –Iris Faircloth Blitch, former U.S. representative from Georgia (1955–1963)
1964 –Howard Callaway, later U.S. representative from Georgia (1965–1967) andUnited States secretary of the Army (1973–1975)^[18]
1964 –William Dickinson, later a U.S. representative from Alabama (1965–1993)
1964 –John Paul Hammerschmidt, later U.S. representative from Arkansas (1967–1993)
1964 –Charles W. Pickering, later Mississippi state senator and judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (2004)
1964 –Clarke Reed, later chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party
1964 –Strom Thurmond, while U.S. senator from South Carolina (1954–2003)^[19]
1964 –Faith Whittlesey, Pennsylvania state representative
1965 –Arthur R. Outlaw, mayor of Mobile, Alabama
1965 –George Yarbrough, Mississippi state senator
1966 –Fred Connors, South Carolina state representative
1966 –Henry Grover, Texas state representative
1966 – Jerome Hughes, South Carolina state representative
1966 –Reid Moore Jr., Florida state representative
1967 –Bill Archer, Texas health commissioner, later a U.S. representative (1971–2001)
1967 –David L. Brower, Florida state representative
1967 –Thad Cochran, later a U.S. representative from Mississippi (1973–1978) and U.S. senator from Mississippi (1978–2018)
1967 –Jerry H. Geisler, Virginia state representative
1967 –Jack B. Ray, State treasurer of Georgia (1965–71)
1967 –Ronnie Thompson, mayor of Macon, Georgia
1968 –Grailey Berryhill, Tennessee state representative
1968 –James L. Bentley, Comptroller General of Georgia (1963–1971)
1968 –Jim Caldwell, Arkansas state representative
1968 –Phil Campbell, Commissioner of Agriculture of Georgia (1955–1969)
1968 –Sanford Charron, former Michigan state representative
1968 –William E. Dannemeyer, former California state representative and later U.S. representative from California (1979–1993)
1968 –R. Earl Dixon, Florida state representative
1968 –Alpha A. Fowler Jr., member of the Georgia Public Service Commission
1968 –Gordon McLendon, radio broadcaster and frequent political candidate in Texas
1968 –Curtis S. Person Jr., Tennessee state representative
1968 –Crawford Pilcher, member of the Georgia Public Service Commission
1969 –Guy O. Farley Jr., Virginia state representative^[20]
1969 –Raymond R. Guest Jr., Virginia state representative
1969 –Donald Hazelton, Florida state representative

1970–1979

[edit]

1970 –Bob Barr, later U.S. representative fromGeorgia (1995–2003)
1970 –John Chichester, Virginia state senator
1970 –A. C. Clemons, Louisiana state senator (1960–1972)
1970 –Sterling Cockrill, Arkansas state representative
1970 –J. Robert Cooper, Georgia state representative
1970 –Jesse Helms, later U.S. senator fromNorth Carolina (1973–2003)
1970 –William Oswald Mills, later U.S. representative fromMaryland (1971–1973)
1971 –Tillie K. Fowler, later U.S. representative fromFlorida (1993–2001)
1971 –James Nowlin, Texas state representative
1972 –Thomas F. Hartnett, later U.S. representative fromSouth Carolina (1981–1987)
1972 –Trent Lott, later U.S. representative fromMississippi (1973–1989) and U.S. senator from Mississippi (1989–2007)^[21]
1972 –Robert R. Neall, later secretary of theMaryland Department of Health (2018–2020)
1972 –Graham Purcell Jr., U.S. representative from Texas (1962–1973)
1973 –John Connally, formerUnited States secretary of the treasury (1971–1972) and formergovernor of Texas (1963–1969)
1973 –Mills E. Godwin Jr., formergovernor of Virginia (1966–1970) andlieutenant Governor of Virginia (1962–1966), later re-elected governor of Virginia (1974–1978)
1973 –Samuel I. Hayakawa, president ofSan Francisco State University, laterU.S. senator from California (1977–1983)^[22]
1975 –Elizabeth Dole, laterUnited States secretary of transportation (1983–1987),United States secretary of labor (1989–1990) and U.S. senator fromNorth Carolina (2003–2009)
1975 –John Jarman, while U.S. representative from Oklahoma (1951–1977)^[23]
1976 –Leon Bramlett, former chair of the Mississippi Democratic Party
1976 –Shirley Winsley, Washington state representative
1977 –Lane Carson, Louisiana state representative
1977 –A. J. McNamara, Louisiana state representative
1978 –Michele Bachmann, later U.S. representative from Minnesota (2007–2015)
1978 –Thomas Bliley, mayor of Richmond, Virginia, and later U.S. representative from Virginia (1981–2001)
1978 –Robert G. Jones, Louisiana state senator
1978 –Chris Smith, later U.S. representative from New Jersey (1981–present)^[24]
1979 –Clay Ford, former Arkansas state representative and later a Florida state representative
1979 –Armistead I. Selden Jr., former U.S. representative from Alabama (1953–1969) andUnited States ambassador to New Zealand (1974–1979)

1980–1989

[edit]

1980s –Mike Pence, future U.S. representative for Indiana (2001–2013),governor of Indiana (2013–2017) andvice president of the United States (2017–2021)^[25]
1980 –Mac Collins, later U.S. representative from Georgia (1993–2005)
1980 –Jim Donelon, later Louisianainsurance commissioner (2006–2024)
1980 –Jesse Monroe Knowles, Louisiana state senator
1980 –John Otho Marsh Jr., former U.S. representative from Virginia (1963–1971), and future U.S. secretary of the Army (1981–1989)
1980 –Frank D. White, latergovernor of Arkansas (1981–1983)^[26]
1980 –Sam Yorty, former U.S. representative for California (1951–1955) andmayor of Los Angeles, California (1961–1973)
1981 –Eugene Atkinson, while U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1979–1983)^[27]
1981 –Larry Kudlow, later director of theNational Economic Council (2018–2021)
1981 –Pete von Reichbauer, Washington state senator^[28]
1981 –Bob Stump, while U.S. representative from Arizona (1977–2003)
1982 –Condoleezza Rice, laterUnited States national security advisor (2001–2005) andUnited States secretary of state (2005–2009)^[29]
1982 –Franklin Sutton, Georgia state senator
1982 –Joseph P. Wyatt Jr., former U.S. representative fromTexas (1979–1981)
1983 –Phil Gramm, while U.S. representative fromTexas (1979–1985) and later U.S. senator fromTexas (1985–2002)
1983 –Bob Martinez, whilemayor of Tampa, Florida, latergovernor of Florida (1987–1991) anddirector of the National Drug Control Policy (1991–1993)
1983 –Edward D.L.G. Pangelinan, whileresident representative from theNorthern Mariana Islands (1978–1984)^[30]
1984 –V.J. Bella, Louisiana state representative
1984 –Sonny Callahan, Alabama state senator, later U.S. representative from Alabama (1985–2003)
1984 –Andy Ireland, while U.S. representative from Florida (1977–1993)
1984 –H. Edward Knox,mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
1985 –Kent Hance, former U.S. representative from Texas (1979–1985)
1985 –Edward J. King, formergovernor of Massachusetts (1979–1983)^[31]
1985 –Jeane Kirkpatrick, whileU.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1981–1985)^[32]
1985 –Dexter Lehtinen, Florida state representative, laterU.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida (1988–1992)
1986 –Richard Baker, Louisiana state representative, later U.S. representative fromLouisiana (1987–2008)
1986 –William Bennett, whileU.S. secretary of education (1985–1988)^[33]
1986 –Charles T. Canady, Florida state representative, later U.S. representative fromFlorida (1993–2001), justice of theSupreme Court of Florida (2008–present) and chief justice of theSupreme Court of Florida (2010–2012)
1986 –Frank Rizzo, formermayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^[34]
1986 –James David Santini, former U.S. representative fromNevada (1975–1983)
1987 –Paul Hardy, formersecretary of state of Louisiana (1976–1980), laterlieutenant governor of Louisiana (1988–1992)^[35]
1987 –Roy Moore, laterchief justice of theAlabama Supreme Court (2001–2003)
1987 –Sam Panayotovich, while Illinois state representative and political ally of Edward Vrdolyak (below)^[36]
1987 –James C. Smith,attorney general of Florida (1979–1987), laterFlorida secretary of state (1987–1995)
1987 –Edward Vrdolyak (born 1937), whileChicago city councilmember.^[37]
1988 –David Duke, Louisiana state representative
1988 –Mike Johanns, latergovernor of Nebraska (1999–2005),United States secretary of agriculture (2005–2007) and U.S. senator fromNebraska (2009–2015)
1988 –Jim McCrery, later U.S. representative from Louisiana (1988–2009)
1988 – John Rice,Alabama state senator^[38]
1989 –John Amari,Alabama state senator
1989 –Bill Grant, while U.S. representative fromFlorida (1987–1991)
1989 –Pete Johnson, whilestate auditor of Mississippi (1988–1992)
1989 –W. Fox McKeithen,secretary of state of Louisiana (1988–2005)
1989 –Harvey S. Peeler Jr., South Carolina state senator^[39]
1989 –Rick Perry, Texas state representative, later agriculture commissioner ofTexas andgovernor of Texas (2000–2015)^[40]
1989 –Tommy F. Robinson, while U.S. representative fromArkansas (1985–1991)

1990–1999

[edit]

1990 –Jason Chaffetz, later U.S. representative fromUtah (2009–2017)^[41]
1990 –Lauch Faircloth, later U.S. senator fromNorth Carolina (1993–1999)^[42]
1990 –Vito Fossella, later U.S. representative fromNew York (1997–2009)
1990 –Tom Vandergriff, former U.S. representative fromTexas (1983–1985)
1991 –David Beasley, latergovernor of South Carolina (1995–1999)
1991 –Buddy Roemer, whilegovernor of Louisiana (1988–1992)^[43]
1991 –Bret Schundler,mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey
1992 –Mark Candon, former member of theVermont House of Representatives, later the Republican nominee forVermont's at-large congressional district in1998^[44]
1992 –Byron Looper, Tennessee state representative
1993 –Edward H. Krebs,Pennsylvania state representative
1993 –Pedro G. Nieto, Texas state representative^[45]
1993 –J. Roland Smith, South Carolina state representative^[46]
1994 –Ed Austin, whilemayor of Jacksonville, Florida
1994 –Eli Bebout, Wyoming state representative^[47]
1994 –Mike Bowers, whileattorney general of Georgia (1981–1997)
1994 –Bill Finkbeiner, Washington state representative^[48]
1994 –Fob James, formergovernor of Alabama (1979–1983), later re-elected asgovernor of Alabama (1995–1999)
1994 –Woody Jenkins, Louisiana state representative
1994 –Walter B. Jones, while running as a Democrat for U.S. House fromNorth Carolina. U.S. representative fromNorth Carolina (1995–2019)
1994 –Richard Shelby, while U.S. senator fromAlabama (1987–2023)
1994 –Ed Whitfield, the day before filing as a candidate for the U.S. House inKentucky. U.S. representative fromKentucky (1995–2016)
1995 –Ben Nighthorse Campbell, while U.S. senator fromColorado (1993–2005)
1995 –Tom Campbell, Washington state representative^[28]
1995 –Warren Chisum, Texas state representative
1995 –Rusty Crowe, Tennessee state senator^[49]
1995 –Nathan Deal, while U.S. representative fromGeorgia (1993–2011), later became the 82ndgovernor of Georgia (2011–2019)
1995 –Mike Foster, latergovernor of Louisiana (1996–2004)
1995 –Milton H. Hamilton, Jr, Tennessee state senator
1995 –Jimmy Hayes, while U.S. representative fromLouisiana (1987–1997)
1995 –Greg Laughlin, while U.S. representative fromTexas (1989–1997)
1995 –Susana Martinez, latergovernor of New Mexico (2011–2019)
1995 –Dave Mastin, Washington state representative^[28]
1995 –Mike Parker, while U.S. representative fromMississippi (1989–1999)^[50]
1995 –Molly Spearman, South Carolina state representative; laterSouth Carolina superintendent of education (2015–2023)^[51]
1995 –Billy Tauzin, while U.S. representative fromLouisiana (1980–2005)^[52]
1996 –Thomas C. Alexander, South Carolina state senator
1996 –Norm Coleman,mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota; later U.S. senator (2003–2009)^[53]
1996 –Ronnie Culbreth, Georgia state representative^[54]
1996 –John Hoeven, latergovernor of North Dakota (2000–2010) and U.S. senator (2011–present)
1996 –Hugh Leatherman, South Carolina state senator^[55]
1996 –Cleta Mitchell, former Oklahoma state representative
1996 –Paul Zellinsky, Washington state representative^[56]
1997 – Chip Bailey, Alabama state senator
1997 -Bradley Byrne, member of theAlabama State Board of Education and later U.S. representative fromAlabama (2014–2021)
1997 –Ronald Johnson, Alabama state representative
1997 –Kevin Mannix, Oregon state representative
1997 –Steve Windom, Alabama state senator, laterlieutenant governor of Alabama (1999–2003)
1998 –Gerald Allen, Alabama state representative
1998 –Herman Badillo, former U.S. representative fromNew York (1971–1977)
1998 –David G. Boschert, Maryland state delegate
1998 –Steve Flowers, Alabama state representative
1998 –Harry C. Goode Jr.,Florida state representative
1998 –Sonny Perdue,Georgia state senator, later became the 81stgovernor of Georgia (2003–2011) and the 31stUnited States secretary of agriculture^[57]
1998 –George Wallace Jr., formerAlabama state treasurer (1987–1995)
1999 –Nancy Larraine Hoffmann, New York state senator
1999 –Dan Seum, Kentucky state representative

2000–2009

[edit]

2001 –Greg Delleney, South Carolina state representative^[58]
2001 –Blaine Galliher, Alabama state representative^[59]
2002 –Rooney Bowen,Georgia state senator
2002 –Terry C. Burton, Mississippi state senator^[60]
2002 -Franklin B. Mann, former Florida state senator^[61]
2002 –Videt Carmichael, Mississippi state senator^[60]
2002 –Don Cheeks,Georgia state senator
2002 –Jack Hill,Georgia state senator
2002 –Kay Ivey, laterstate treasurer of Alabama (2003–2011),lieutenant governor of Alabama (2011–2017), andgovernor of Alabama (2017–present)
2002 –Dan Lee,Georgia state senator
2002 –Olga A. Méndez,New York state senator
2002 –Joseph Robach, New York state assemblymember^[62]
2002 –Amy Tuck, whilelieutenant governor of Mississippi (2000–2008)^[63]
2003 –Larry Baker, Mississippi state representative^[64]
2003 –Jim Barnett, Mississippi state representative^[64]
2003 –Herb Frierson, Mississippi state representative^[64]
2003 –Frank Hamilton, Mississippi state representative^[64]
2003 –Travis Little, Mississippi state senator
2003 –William H. O'Dell, South Carolina state senator^[65]
2003 –John Read, Mississippi state representative^[64]
2003 –Melinda Schwegmann, formerlieutenant governor of Louisiana (1992–1996)
2003 –Rick Sheehy, mayor ofHastings, Nebraska
2004 –Rodney Alexander, while U.S. representative fromLouisiana (2004–2013)^[66]
2004 –Ralph Doxey, Mississippi state senator
2004 –Ralph Hall, while U.S. representative fromTexas (1981–2015)^[67]^[68]
2004 –Luke A. Rankin, South Carolina state senator^[69]
2004 –Carl Rogers, Georgia state representative^[70]
2005 –Michael Diven, Pennsylvania state representative
2006 –Mickey Channell, Georgia state representative^[71]
2006 –John Giannetti, Maryland state senator
2006 –Jimmy Holley, Alabama state senator^[72]
2006 –Will Kendrick, Florida state representative
2006 –Don McLeary, Tennessee state senator
2006 –Billy Montgomery, Louisiana state representative
2006 –Butch Parrish, Georgia state representative^[71]
2007 –Tommy Gollott, Mississippi state senator
2007 –Jimmy Holley, Alabama state senator^[73]
2007 –Frank A. Howard, sheriff ofVernon Parish, Louisiana
2007 –Mike Jacobs,Georgia state representative^[74]
2007 –John Neely Kennedy, whilestate treasurer of Louisiana (2000–2017), later U.S. senator forLouisiana (2017–present)
2007 –Dawn Pettengill,Iowa state representative
2008 –Todd Ames Hunter, former Texas state representative^[75]
2008 –Nolan Mettetal,Mississippi state senator^[76]
2009 –Chuck Hopson,Texas state representative^[77]
2009 –Dennis Moss, South Carolina state representative^[78]
2009 –Billy Nicholson, Mississippi state representative^[79]
2009 –Tom Salmon, whileVermont auditor of accounts (2007–2013)^[80]
2009 –Tom Saviello, Maine state representative^[81]

2010–2019

[edit]

2010 –John Alario, Louisiana state senator^[82]^[83]
2010 –Scott Angelle, whilelieutenant governor of Louisiana (2010), later director of theBureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (2017–2021)
2010 –Ellis Black, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Alan Boothe, Alabama state representative^[84]
2010 –C. Scott Bounds, Mississippi state representative^[85]
2010 –Amy Carter, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Simone B. Champagne, Louisiana state representative^[83]
2010 –Mike Cheokas, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Noble Ellington, Louisiana state representative^[83]
2010 –Bubber Epps, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Tim Golden, Georgia state senator^[82]
2010 –Gerald Greene, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Bob Hanner, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Walker Hines, Louisiana state representative^[83]
2010 –Steve Hurst, Alabama state representative^[84]
2010 –Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi state senator, later state agriculture commissioner and U.S. senator^[82]
2010 –Steve Levy,county executive ofSuffolk County,New York^[86]
2010 –Doug McKillip, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Mike Millican, Alabama state representative^[84]
2010 –Fred Mills, Louisiana state representative^[83]
2010 –Eldon Nygaard, South Dakota state senator^[82]
2010 –Aaron Pena, Texas state representative^[82]
2010 –Alan Powell, Georgia state representative^[82]
2010 –Jim Preuitt, Alabama state senator^[72]
2010 –Allan Ritter, Texas state representative^[82]
2010 –Bobby Shows, Mississippi state representative^[82]
2010 –John Smith, Louisiana state senator^[82]
2010 –Chris Steineger, Kansas state senator^[82]
2010 –Lesley Vance, Alabama state representative^[84]
2010 –Mike Willette, Maine state representative^[82]
2011 –Jody Amedee, Louisiana state senator^[87]
2011 –Taylor Barras, Louisiana state representative^[87]
2011 –Donnie Bell, Mississippi state representative^[88]
2011 –Tom Butler, Alabama state senator^[89]^[90]
2011 –Buddy Caldwell, whileLouisiana attorney general (2008–2016)^[91]
2011 –Norby Chabert, Louisiana state senator^[87]
2011 –Billy Chandler, Louisiana state representative^[87]
2011 –Charles "Bubba" Chaney, Louisiana state representative^[87]
2011 –Linda Collins, Arkansas state representative^[87]
2011 –Charles Graddick, Alabama circuit judge and formerattorney general of Alabama (1979–1987)^[92]
2011 –Mark Grisanti,New York state senator^[93]
2011 –Bob Hensgens, mayor ofGueydan, Louisiana
2011 –Mike "Pete" Huval, Louisiana state representative
2011 –Bert Jones, North Carolina state representative
2011 –Ezell Lee, Mississippi state senator^[94]
2011 –Russ Nowell, Mississippi state representative^[87]
2011 –Margaret Rogers, Mississippi state representative^[87]
2011 –Jim Slezak, Michigan state representative^[95]
2011 –Jeff Smith, Mississippi state representative^[87]
2011 –Gray Tollison, Mississippi state senator^[88]
2012 –Mike Braun, later U.S. senator forIndiana (2019–2025), andGovernor of Indiana (2025–present)^[96]
2012 –Jerry L. Fielding, Alabama state senator^[97]
2012 –Alan Harper, Alabama state representative^[98]
2012 –José Manuel Lozano, Texas state representative^[99]
2012 –Roy Schmidt, Michigan state representative^[87]
2012 –Christine Watkins, Utah state representative^[100]
2012 –Jason White, Mississippi state representative^[88]^[101]
2012 –Arthur J. Williams, North Carolina state representative^[102]
2013 –Nickey Browning, Mississippi state senator^[103]^[88]
2013 –James R. Fannin, Louisiana state representative^[104]
2013 –Ryan Ferns, West Virginia state representative^[105]
2013 –Elbert Guillory,Louisiana State senator^[104]
2013 –Lindsey Holmes, Alaska state representative^[106]
2013 –Evan Jenkins, West Virginia state representative. Later U.S. representative fromWest Virginia (2015–2018) and Justice ofSupreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (2018–2022)^[107]
2013 –Andy Nuñez, New Mexico state representative^[108]
2013 –Rick Ward, III, Louisiana state senator^[104]
2014 –Linda Black, Missouri state representative^[109]
2014 –Daniel Hall, West Virginia state senator^[110]
2014 –Mark Miloscia, Washington state representative^[111]
2014 –Charles Newton, Alabama state representative^[112]
2014 –Andy Nuñez,New Mexico State representative^[113]
2014 –Randall Patterson, Mississippi state representative^[88]
2014 –Janice Pauls, Kansas state representative^[114]
2014 –Gene Taylor, former U.S. representative from Mississippi (1989–2011)^[115]
2015 –Carlyle Begay, Arizona state senator^[116]
2015 –Denver Butler, Kentucky state representative^[117]
2015 –Kim Davis, county clerk ofRowan County, Kentucky^[118]
2015 –Sandra Doorley, district attorney ofMonroe County, New York^[119]
2015 –Jim Gooch, Kentucky state representative^[120]
2015 –Eric Greitens, latergovernor of Missouri (2016–2018)^[121]
2015 –Mike Holcomb, Arkansas state representative^[122]
2015 –Omarosa Manigault, later director of communications for theOffice of Public Liaison (2017)^[123]
2015 –Jody Steverson, Mississippi state representative^[124]
2016 –David Hillman, Arkansas state representative^[125]
2016 –Joe Jett, Arkansas state representative^[125]
2016 –Bob Lessard, former Minnesota state senator^[126]
2016 –Karen MacBeth, Rhode Island state representative^[127]
2016 –Yancey McGill, formerlieutenant governor of South Carolina (2014–2015)^[128]
2016 –Wilbur Ross, laterUnited States Secretary of Commerce (2017–2021)^{[citation needed]}
2016 –Jeff Wardlaw, Arkansas state representative^[125]
2017 –William Brisson, North Carolina assemblyman^[129]
2017 –Mariellen MacKay, New Hampshire state representative^[130]
2017 –Rupert Phillips,West Virginia state delegate^[131]
2017 –Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, former Florida state representative^[132]
2017 –Robert Theberge, New Hampshire state representative^[133]
2018 –Bobby Bright, former U.S. representative from Alabama (2009–2011)^[134]
2018 –Ken Luttrell, Oklahoma state representative^[135]
2018 –Johnny Tadlock, Oklahoma state representative^[136]
2018 –Ivanka Trump, daughter of PresidentDonald Trump andAdvisor to the President
2019 –Nick Bain, Mississippi state representative^[137]
2019 –Carroll Hubbard, former U.S. representative fromKentucky (1975–1993)
2019 –Jeff Van Drew, while U.S. representative fromNew Jersey (2019–present)^[138]
2019 –Wanda Vázquez Garced, whilegovernor of Puerto Rico (2019–2021) and formerSecretary of Justice of Puerto Rico (2017–2019)^[139]^[140]^[141]

2020–present

[edit]

2020 –Jason Barrett, West Virginia state representative^[142]
2020 –Kevin Horan, Mississippi state representative^[143]^[144]
2021 –Mick Bates, West Virginia state delegate^[145]
2021 –Ryan Guillen, Texas state representative^[146]
2021 –John Jay Lee, mayor of North Las Vegas, Nevada^[147]
2021 –Vernon Jones, former Georgia state representative^[148]
2021 –Jon Ray Lancaster, Mississippi state representative^[149]
2021 –John Sims Jr., Kentucky state representative^[150]
2021 –Inna Vernikov, later New York City councilmember^[151]
2022 –Elaine Beech, former Alabama state representative^[152]
2022 –Alec Brook-Krasny, New York state assemblymember^[153]
2022 –Glenn Jeffries, West Virginia state senator
2022 –Ari Kagan, New York City councilmember^[154]
2022 –Brandon Spencer, former Kentucky state representative
2023 –Tricia Cotham, North Carolina state representative^[155]
2023 –Dov Hikind, former New York state assemblymember^[156]
2023 –Eric Johnson,mayor of Dallas, Texas^[157]
2023 –Jeremy LaCombe, Louisiana state representative^[158]
2023 –Mesha Mainor, Georgia state representative^[159]
2023 –Elliott Pritt, West Virginia state delegate^[160]
2023 –Francis C. Thompson, Louisiana state representative^[161]
2024 –Marie Alvarado-Gil, California state senator^[162]
2024 –Todd Blanche,United States Deputy Attorney General (2025–present)
2024 –Hillary Cassel, Florida state representative^[163]
2024 –Matthew Coker, New Hampshire state representative^[164]
2024 –Sherry Gould, New Hampshire state representative^[165]
2024 –Mike McDonnell, Nebraska state senator
2024 –Gabriel Ramos, former New Mexico state senator, later re-elected^[166]
2024 –John S. Rodgers, former Vermont state senator, laterlieutenant governor of Vermont (2025–present)^[167]
2024 –Gloria Romero, former California state senator^[168]
2024 –Doug Skaff, former West Virginia state delegate
2024 –Shawn Thierry, Texas state representative^[169]
2024 –Susan Valdes, Florida state representative^[170]
2025 –Ed Hale, businessman, whilerunning for Governor of Maryland^[171]
2025 –Lindy Li, political commentator and campaign operative^[172]
2025 –Leo Pacheco, former Texas state representative
2025 –David Pascoe,South Carolina First Circuit Solicitor^[173]
2025 –Peri Pourier, South Dakota state representative^[174]
2025 –Alex Villanueva, formerLos Angeles County Sheriff^[175]
2025 –Robin L. Webb, Kentucky state senator^[176]

Democratic to other (third) party

[edit]

1878 –Hendrick Bradley Wright, U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (1853–1855, 1861–1863 and 1877–1881), ran for reelection on theGreenback Party
1884 –Absolom M. West, Mississippi state senator. He joined the Greenback Party and was their vice presidential candidatein 1884.^[177]
1995 –Dominic L. Cortese, California state representative toReform Party.^[178]
1996 –Daniel Hamburg, former U.S. representative (1993–1995) to Green Party^[179]
1999 –Audie Bock, California state assemblywoman to Green Party^[180]
2002 –Tim Penny, former U.S. representative from Minnesota (1983–1995) toIndependence Party of Minnesota
2002 –Jill Stein, perennial presidential candidate and futureLexington town selectman, switched from Democrat to Green^[181]
2003 –Matt Ahearn,New Jersey state representative to Green Party.^[182]
2005 –Jim Lendall, Arkansas state representative to Green Party.^[183]
2006 –Bill Paparian, former mayor of Pasadena, California, toGreen Party.
2007 –Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. representative from Georgia (1993–2003 and 2005–2007) toGreen Party,^[184] and 2008 Green Party presidential candidate
2012 –Fred Smith, Arkansas state representative to Green Party.^[185]
2017 –Henry John Bear,Maine state representative toMaine Green Independent Party.^[186]^[187]
2017 –Ralph Chapman, Maine state representative to Maine Green Independent Party.^[188]
2017 –Joseph Stallcop, New Hampshire state representative toLibertarian Party^[189]
2018 –Sandra Jeff, former New Mexico state representative to Libertarian Party^[190]
2018 –Shane Robinson, Maryland state delegate toMaryland Green Party.^[191]
2021 –Andrew Yang, candidate in the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary toForward Party^[192]
2022 –Joe Sestak, former U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (2007–2011) toForward Party^[193]
2023 –Ron Tupa, former Colorado state senator toUnity Party of America^[194]
2025 –Paul Johnson, formerMayor of Phoenix toNo Labels^[195]

Democratic to independent

[edit]

1970 –Harry F. Byrd Jr., while U.S. senator fromVirginia (1965–1983)^[196]
1991 –Lucy Killea, California state senator^[197]
2006 –Joe Lieberman, while U.S. senator fromConnecticut (1989–2013); ran as an independent for re-election, on theConnecticut for Lieberman ballot line after losing to challengerNed Lamont in the Democratic primary.^[198]
2006 –Avel Gordly,Oregon state senator.^[199]^[200]
2009 –Juan Arambula, California state assemblyman^[201]
2009 –Timothy P. Cahill,treasurer and receiver-general of Massachusetts (2003–2011)^[202]
2009 –Kathleen Curry,Colorado state representative^[203]
2010 –Bob Ziegelbauer,Wisconsin state assemblyman.^[204]
2013 –Richard Laird, Alabama state representative^[205]
2013 –John Olumba,Michigan state representative
2014 –Terry Hayes,Maine state treasurer (2015–2019).^[206]
2014 –Elissa Silverman, Washington D.C. city councilor
2015 –Keith English,Missouri state representative.^[207]
2015 –Paul Tine,North Carolina state representative.^[208]
2016 –Mike Huether, mayor ofSioux Falls, South Dakota.^[209]
2016 –Ben Jones, former U.S. representative from Georgia (1989–1993)^[210]
2017 –Martin Grohman, Maine state representative^[211]
2017 –Denise Harlow, Maine state representative^[211]^[212]
2017 –Cheri Jahn, Colorado state senator^[213]
2018 –George Flaggs Jr., mayor ofVicksburg, Mississippi^[214]
2018 –Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Massachusetts state representative^[215]
2018 –Thomas P. Koch, mayor ofQuincy, Massachusetts^[216]
2018 –Jim Roscoe, Wyoming state representative^[217]
2019 –Angela Cockerham, Mississippi state representative^[218]
2019 –Bryce Edgmon, Alaska state representative and Speaker of the State House^[219]
2019 –Stephen Holland, Mississippi state representative^[218]
2019 –John Yudichak, Pennsylvania state senator^[220]
2020 –Tom Bakk, Minnesota state senator^[221]
2020 –Michael Evans, Mississippi state representative^[222]
2020 –Christina Henderson, Washington, D.C. city councilor^[223]
2020 –Valencia Stovall, Georgia state representative^[224]
2020 –David Tomassoni, Minnesota state senator^[221]
2021 –Jacob Candelaria, New Mexico state senator^[225]
2021 –Betsy Johnson, Oregon state senator^[226]
2022 –Corina Magofna, Northern Mariana Islands territorial representative^[227]
2022 –"Bulldog" Ben Robinson, former Oklahoma state senator^[228]
2022 –Kenyan McDuffie,Washington, D.C. city councilor^[229]
2022 –John Windle, Tennessee state senator^[230]
2022 –Susan Wismer, former South Dakota state senator^[231]
2022 –Shanda Yates, Mississippi state representative^[232]
2023 –Shaun Filiault, New Hampshire state representative^[233]
2023 -Richard Henderson, former Kentucky state representative^[234]
2023 –Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., activist and laterUnited States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2025–present)
2023 –Mia McLeod, South Carolina state senator^[235]
2024 –Steve Berry, former Vermont state representative^[236]
2024 –Cynthia Browning, former Vermont state representative^[237]
2024 –Mike Duggan, mayor ofDetroit, Michigan (2014–present)^[238]
2024 –Joe Manchin, U.S. senator fromWest Virginia (2010–2024),^[239]
2024 –Nicole Shanahan, attorney and running mate ofRobert F. Kennedy Jr. in the2024 presidential election
2025 –Todd Achilles, Idaho state representative^[240]
2025 –W. Edward Crockett, Maine state representative^[241]
2025 –Karine Jean-Pierre, formerWhite House press secretary (2022–2025)^[242]
2025 –Jason Pizzo, Florida state senator^[243]
2025 –Symone Sanders-Townsend, political commentator^[244]
2025 –Robin Tallon, former U.S. representative from South Carolina (1983–1993)^[245]

Switches by Republicans

[edit]

Republican to Democratic

[edit]

Before 1960

[edit]

1860s –Andrew Gregg Curtin, formergovernor of Pennsylvania (1861–1867), later U.S. representative fromPennsylvania (1881–1887)
1860s –Alonzo Garcelon, later served asgovernor of Maine (1879–1880)
1860s –Henry George, American political economist and journalist, and 1886 nominee for mayor of New York City, New York
1867 –John Quincy Adams II, Massachusetts state representative and grandson of PresidentJohn Quincy Adams^[246]
1868 –Salmon P. Chase, former U.S. senator from Ohio (1849–1855, 1861),governor of Ohio (1856–1860) andsecretary of the treasury (1861–1864) and laterchief justice of the United States (1864–1873)
1872 –Edmund G. Ross, former U.S. senator from Kansas (1866–1871)
1877 –James B. Weaver, later U.S. representative from Iowa (1879–1889)
1880 –Benjamin Butler, former U.S. representative from Massachusetts (1867–1879), latergovernor of Massachusetts (1883–1884)
1880 –C. H. J. Taylor, African-American journalist; later minister of Liberia (1887–1888) and recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia (1893–1897)^[247]^[248]
1893 –George Edwin Taylor, newspaper editor and later president of the National Negro Democratic League.^[249]
1905 –John Francis Wheaton, former Minnesota state representative (1899–1900); first African American to serve in theMinnesota House of Representatives^[250]
1908 –Lincoln Loy McCandless (1859–1940), laterdelegate to the U.S. House fromHawaii Territory's at-large congressional district (1933–1935)^[251]
1920s –Ferdinand Lee Barnett, founding editor ofThe Chicago Conservator and husband ofIda B. Wells.^[252]
1922 –Royal S. Copeland, later U.S. senator from New York (1923–1938)^[253]
1930s –Charles Edison, later governor of New Jersey (1941–1944)^[254]^[255]
1932 –Mary McLeod Bethune, activist and member of theBlack Cabinet duringFranklin D. Roosevelt's administration.^[256]
1932 –Charles Diggs Sr., laterMichigan state senator (1937–1944)^[257]
1932 –Arthur W. Mitchell, later U.S. representative from Illinois (1935–1943)^[258]
1932 –Robert Russa Moton, principal ofTuskegee Institute.^[259]
1932 –Phelps Phelps, New York assemblyman, latergovernor of American Samoa (1951–1952)
1932 –Robert Lee Vann, publisher and editor of thePittsburgh Courier^[260]
1933 –Marshall L. Shepard, later a Pennsylvania state representative.^[261]
1936 –Elizabeth Simpson Drewry, later a West Virginia state delegate and its first African American member (1951–1966)^[262]^[263]
1936 –Ellis E. Patterson, California state assemblyman, laterlieutenant governor of California (1939–1943) and U.S. representative fromCalifornia (1945–1947)^[264]
1939 –Corneal A. Davis, later anIllinois state representative (1943–1979)^[265]
1939 –William L. Dawson, later U.S. representative from Illinois (1943–1970)^[265]
1939 –Christopher C. Wimbish, later Illinois state senator (1943–1947)^[266]
1940 –George W. Crockett, Jr., later U.S. representative from Michigan (1980–1991)^[267]
1940 –Perle Mesta, laterUnited States ambassador to Luxembourg (1949–1953)^[268]
1944 –Richard A. Harewood, former state representative from Illinois (1937–1939), later re-elected as state representative (1957–1959)^[269]^[270]
1948 –Robert D. Holmes, later 28th governor of Oregon (1957–1959)^[271]
1951 –James C. Oliver, former U.S. representative from Maine (1937–1943), Democratic nominee forgovernor of Maine in1952, later served as U.S. representative from Maine (1959–1961)^[272]

1960–1969

[edit]

1960s –Archibald Carey Jr., later mayor ofShreveport, Louisiana
1960s –Howard Dean, laterlieutenant governor of Vermont (1987–1991),governor of Vermont (1991–2003) andchair of the Democratic National Committee (2005–2009)
1960s –Pete Stark, later served as U.S. representative from California (1973–2013)
1962 –Don Edwards, later U.S. representative from California (1963–1995)^[273]
1966 –Jay Rockefeller, later U.S. senator from West Virginia (1985–2015)^[274]^[275]
1968 –Hillary Clinton, laterfirst lady of the United States (1993–2001), U.S. senator fromNew York (2001–2009),United States secretary of state (2009–2013) and nominee of theDemocratic Party forpresident of the United States in the2016 election.

1970–1979

[edit]

1970 –William G. Barr, whileIllinois state representative^[276]^[277]
1970 –Floyd K. Haskell, later served as U.S. senator from Colorado (1973–1979)^[278]
1971 –John Lindsay,mayor of New York City, New York, 1972 presidential candidate, and former U.S. representative^[279]
1971 –Leon Panetta, later served as U.S. representative from California (1977–1993),White House chief of staff (1994–1997),director of the C.I.A. (2009–2011) andU.S. secretary of defense (2011–2013)
1972 –Herman Goldner,mayor ofSt. Petersburg, Florida^[280]
1972 –Harvey Milk, later a member of theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors in California (1978)^[281]
1972 –Ogden R. Reid, while U.S. representative from New York (1963–1975)
1973 –Joan Finney, later Kansas state treasurer (1974–1991) andgovernor of Kansas (1991–1995)
1973 –Edward Meyer, New York state assemblyman
1973 –Don Riegle, while U.S. representative fromMichigan (1967–1976) and later U.S. senator from Michigan (1976–1995)
1976 –James Glisson, Florida state senator
1976 –Howard Oda, Hawaii state representative^[282]
1976 –Edward Zorinsky (1928–1987), while mayor ofOmaha, Nebraska, later U.S. senator (1976–1987)^[283]
1977 –Lloyd H. Kincaid, whileWisconsin state assemblyman
1977 –Peter Peyser, U.S. representative from New York (1971–1977 and 1979–1983)
1978 –Robert McNamara, U.S. secretary of defense (1961–1968)^[284]
1978 –John Peavey, Idaho state senator
1979 –Charles W. Whalen Jr., former U.S. representative from Ohio (1967–1979)^[285]

1980–1989

[edit]

1980 –Thomas M. Foglietta, member of the Philadelphia city council, later served as U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1981–1997) andUnited States ambassador to Italy (1997–2001)
1985 –Chris Coons, later U.S. senator from Delaware (2010–present)^[286]
1985 –John Yarmuth, later served as U.S. representative from Kentucky (2007–2023)^[287]
1987 –Martha Ezzard, while Colorado state senator^[288]
1988 –Donna Akeda, Hawaii state representative^[289]
1988 –Ann Kobayashi, Hawaii state senator^[289]
1988 –Milton Marks,California state senator^[290]
1988 –Albio Sires, later served as U.S. representative from New Jersey (2006–2023)
1988 –Duane Woodard,Colorado attorney general

1990–1999

[edit]

1991 –Markos Moulitsas, later founder ofDaily Kos^[291]
1992 –Mike Doyle, later served as U.S. representative from Pennsylvania (1995–2022)^[292]
1992 –Frank Pecora, Pennsylvania state senator^[292]
1992 –Loretta Sanchez, later served as U.S. representative from California (1997–2017)^[293]
1992 –Mark Takano, later served as U.S. representative from California (2013–present)^[294]
1994 –Bernard Erickson, Texas state representative^[295]
1995 –Elizabeth Warren, later served as U.S. senator from Massachusetts (2013–present)^[296]
1996 –Carolyn McCarthy, later served as U.S. representative from New York (1997–2015)^[297]
1996 –Ralph Neas, executive director of theLeadership Conference on Civil Rights^[298]
1996 –Russell W. Peterson, formergovernor of Delaware (1969–1973)^[299]
1997 –Debra J. Mazzarelli, New York state assemblywoman^[300]
1997 –Harley Rouda, later served as U.S. representative for California (2019–2021)^[301]
1999 –Michael Forbes, while serving as U.S. representative from New York (1995–2001)^[302]
1999 –Gabrielle Giffords, later U.S. representative from Arizona (2007–2012)^[303]

2000–2009

[edit]

2000 –Mark DeSaulnier,Contra Costa County supervisor; later U.S. representative from California (2015–present)^[304]
2000 –Judi Dutcher,Minnesota state auditor (1995–2003)^[302]
2000 –Jeff Enfinger, Alabama state senator^[305]
2000 –Margaret Gamble, South Carolina state representative^[306]
2000 –Scott Heidepriem, South Dakota state senator
2000 –Patrick J. Hogan, Maryland state senator
2000 –Dean Elton Johnson, Minnesota state senator^[53]^[307]
2000 –Ed Schultz, broadcaster^[308]
2000 –Mickey Whatley, South Carolina state representative^[306]
2001 –Kathy Ashe, Georgia state representative
2001 –Charles Wayne Goforth, former Illinois state representative^[309]
2001 –John A. Lawless,Pennsylvania state representative.^[310]
2001 –Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Pennsylvania state representative
2002 –D. G. Anderson, Hawaii state senator
2002 –Charles R. Larson, formersuperintendent of United States Naval Academy (1983–1986 and 1994–1998)^[311]
2002 –Ray Nagin, latermayor of New Orleans, Louisiana (2002–2010)
2003 –Nancy Boyda, later served as U.S. representative from Kansas (2007–2009)
2003 –Corey Corbin, New Hampshire state representative^[312]
2003 –Michael Decker, North Carolina state representative
2003 –Barbara Hafer,state treasurer of Pennsylvania (1997–2005)^[313]
2003 –Stan Moody, Maine state representative
2003 –John E. Moore, laterlieutenant governor of Kansas (2003–2007)
2003 –Bazy Tankersley, horse breeder, conservationist, and daughter of U.S. senator and publisherJoseph M. McCormick.^[314]
2004 –Teresa Heinz, philanthropist, widow of U.S. senatorJohn Heinz and current wife ofJohn Kerry
2004 –Arthur Mayo, Maine state senator
2005 –Steve Lukert, Kansas state representative^[315]
2005 –Tim Mahoney, later served as U.S. representative for Florida (2007–2009)
2005 –Paul J. Morrison, district attorney forJohnson County, Kansas, laterKansas attorney general (2006–2007)^[316]^[317]
2006 –Charles Barkley, basketball player
2006 –Wendy Davis, member of the Fort Worth city council, later Texas state senator and2014 Democratic nominee forgovernor of Texas
2006 –Sam Kitzenberg,Montana state senator.^[318]
2006 –Cindy Neighbor, Kansas state representative
2006 –Mark Parkinson, Kansas state senator, laterlieutenant governor of Kansas (2007–2009) andgovernor of Kansas (2009–2011)^[317]^[319]
2006 –Nancy Riley,Oklahoma state senator
2006 –Rodney Tom,Washington state representative
2006 –Diana Urban, Connecticut state representative
2006 –James Webb, formerUnited States secretary of the Navy (1987–1988), later U.S. senator from Virginia (2007–2013)
2006 –Kate Witek,Nebraska state auditor (1999–2007)^[320]
2007 –Karen Awana, Hawaii state representative^[289]
2007 –Walter Boasso, Louisiana state senator
2007 –Francis Bodine, New Jersey state representative
2007 –Janet DiFiore, district attorney ofWestchester County, New York^[321]^[322]
2007 –Kirk England, Texas state representative^[323]
2007 –Paul D. Froehlich, Illinois state representative.^[36]
2007 –Mike Gabbard, Hawaii state senator^[289]^[324]
2007 –Robert Garcia, latermayor of Long Beach, California^[325]
2007 –Melvin Henley, Kentucky state representative
2007 –Fred Jarrett, Washington state representative^[28]
2007 –Chris Koster, Missouri state senator, laterMissouri attorney general (2009–2017) and2016 Democratic nominee forgovernor of Missouri^[326]
2007 –Pete McCloskey, former U.S. representative from California (1967–1983)^[327]^[328]
2007 –Mike Spano, New York state assemblyman and futuremayor of Yonkers
2007 –Debbie Stafford, Colorado state representative^[329]
2008 –Gil Cisneros, later served as U.S. representative for California (2019–2021, 2025–present)^[330]
2008 –David L. Hogue, Utah state representative^[331]
2008 –Stacey Plaskett, later served asdelegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from theUnited States Virgin Islands (2015–present)^[332]
2008 –Bill Walters, former Arkansas state representative^[333]
2009 –Dale Swenson, Kansas state representative^[334]^[335]

2010–2019

[edit]

2010 –Steve Fox, California state assemblyman
2011 –Wade Hurt, Kentucky state representative
2011 –Patrick Murphy, later served as U.S. representative from Florida (2013–2017)
2012 –Ron Erhardt, Minnesota state representative
2012 –Peter Koo, New York City, New York councilman^[336]
2012 –Gil Riviere, while Hawaii state representative^[289]
2013 –Brad Ashford, Nebraska state senator, later U.S. representative from Nebraska (2015–2017)
2013 –John Bohlinger, formerlieutenant governor of Montana (2005–2013)
2013 –Nathan Fletcher, California state assemblyman.^[337]
2013 –Tom O'Halleran, Arizona state senator, later U.S. representative from Arizona (2017–2023)^[338]
2013 –Jean Schodorf, Kansas state senator
2014 –Aaron Johanson, Hawaii state representative^[339]
2014 –Sam Satoru Kong, future Hawaii state representative^[340]
2014 –Ana Rivas Logan, formerFlorida state senator.^[341]^[342]
2015 –Jane Castor, latermayor of Tampa, Florida (2019–present)^[343]
2015 –John Ceretto, New York state assemblyman
2016 –William Mundell, formerArizona Corporation Commissioner^[344]
2017 –Beth Fukumoto, Hawaii state representative and Republican minority leader^[345]
2018 –Barbara Bollier, Kansas state senator^[346]
2018 –Stephanie Clayton, Kansas state representative^[347]
2018 –Joy Koesten, Kansas state representative^[348]
2018 –Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer (2005–2007)^[349]^[350]
2018 –Julia Salazar,New York State Senator from Brooklyn
2018 –Steve Schmidt, political strategist and operations chief forJohn McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, as well as co-founder ofThe Lincoln Project.^[351]
2018 –Meagan Simonaire, Maryland state delegate^[352]
2018 –Dinah Sykes, Kansas state senator^[353]
2018 –Grant Woods, formerattorney general of Arizona (1991–1999)^[354]
2019 –Dawn Addiego, New Jersey state senator^[355]
2019 –Wayne Gilchrest, former U.S. representative from Maryland (1991–2009)^[356]
2019 –Andy McKean, Iowa state representative^[357]
2019 –Brian Maienschein, California state assemblyman^[358]^[359]

2020–present

[edit]

2020 –Frank Aguilar, member of theCook County board of commissioners. Previously anIllinois state representative^[360]
2021 –Joy Hofmeister,Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction (2015–2023) and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial nominee^[361]
2021 –William Marsh, New Hampshire state representative^[362]
2021 –Jennifer McCormick, formerIndiana Superintendent of Public Instruction (2017–2021)^[363]
2022 –Jim Leach, former U.S. representative from Iowa (1977–2007)^[364]
2022 –Kevin Priola, Colorado state senator^[365]
2023 –Michelle Henry,attorney general of Pennsylvania (2023–2025)^[366]
2023 –Samuel D. Thompson, New Jersey state senator^[367]
2025 –Geoff Duncan, formerLieutenant Governor of Georgia (2019–2023)^[368]
2025 –Cyrus Javadi,Oregon State Representative^[369]
2026 –David Nagel, New Hampshire State Representative^[370]

Republican to other (third) party

[edit]

1870 –Joseph Pulitzer, founder and long-time newspaper publisher of theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch andThe World, served as a Republican U.S. representative from New York before switching to theLiberal Republican Party for the following four years.
1891 –James Weaver, Republican U.S. representative from Iowa turnedGreenbacker, later was a founder of thePopulist Party and ran for president on that party's ticket in 1892.
1893 –William M. Stewart, U.S. senator from Nevada (1864–1875 and 1887–1905) switched to theSilver Party^[371]
1895 –John P. Jones, U.S. senator from Nevada (1873–1903) switched toSilver Party^[372]
1896 –Wharton Barker, former Republican activist, switched to the Populist Party and was a presidential candidate in 1900.
1896 –Frank J. Cannon, U.S. senator from Utah (1896–1899) switched toSilver Republican Party.^[373]
1896 –Lee Mantle, U.S. senator from Montana (1895–1899) switched toSilver Republican Party.^[374]
1896 –Richard F. Pettigrew, U.S. senator from South Dakota (1889–1901) switched toSilver Republican Party.^[375]
1897 –Fred T. Dubois, U.S. senator from Idaho (1891–1897 and 1901–1907) switched toSilver Republican Party.^[376]
1897 –Henry M. Teller, U.S. senator from Colorado (1876–1882 and 1885–1909) switched toSilver Republican Party^[377]
1934 –Robert M. La Follette Jr., U.S. senator from Wisconsin (1925–1947) switched to the Progressive Party.^[378]
1937 –Vito Marcantonio, U.S. representative from New York (1935–1937 and 1939–1951) switched to the American Labor Party
2000 –Rick Jore, Montana state representative toU.S. Constitution Party.^[379]
2012 –Daniel P. Gordon, Rhode Island state representative joined the Libertarian Party.^[380]^[381]
2012 –Gary Johnson, formergovernor of New Mexico (1995–2003), switched to theLibertarian Party and became their nominee forpresident of the United States in both the2012 election and2016 election.
2012 –Buddy Roemer, formergovernor of Louisiana (1988–1992), switched to theReform Party.
2014 –Lorence Wenke, former Michigan state Representative, switched to theLibertarian Party.
2016 –Mark B. Madsen, Utah state senator, switched to theLibertarian Party.^[382]
2016 –Mary Matalin, deputy campaign manager forGeorge H. W. Bush's1992 presidential campaign, switched toLibertarian Party^[383]
2016 –John Moore, Nevada state assemblyman switched toLibertarian Party^[384]
2017 –Caleb Dyer, New Hampshire state representative switched to theLibertarian Party^[189]
2018 –Aubrey Dunn Jr.,New Mexico commissioner of public lands switched to theLibertarian Party.^[385]^[386]
2018 –Sam McCann, Illinois state senator switched to the Conservative Party.^[387]
2022 –Christine Todd Whitman, formergovernor of New Jersey (1994–2001) andadministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2001–2003) switched to theForward Party^[388]
2023 –Jarrod Sammis, Vermont state representative switched to theLibertarian Party^[389]
2024 –Charlie Conrad, Oregon state representative switched to theIndependent Party of Oregon^[390]
2025 –Daniel Thatcher, Utah state senator, switched to theForward Party

Republican to independent

[edit]

1936 –George William Norris, U.S. senator from Nebraska (1913–1943)^[391]
1980 –John Anderson, U.S. representative from Illinois (1961–1981) and 1980 Independent presidential candidate
1990 –Lowell Weicker, former U.S. senator for Connecticut (1971–1989), later Independentgovernor of Connecticut (1991–1995)^[392]
1994 –Paul Horcher, California state representative^[393]
2001 –Jim Jeffords, U.S. senator from Vermont (1989–2007)^[394]^[395]^[396]
2005 –David Durenberger, former U.S. senator from Minnesota (1979–1995)^[397]
2005 –Bob Leeper, Kentucky state senator and futurecounty judge/executive ofMcCracken County. Was previously a Democrat until 1999.
2007 –Rick Singleton,Rhode Island state representative^[398]
2007 –Micheal R. Williams, Tennessee state senator^[399]
2008 –Ron Erhardt, Minnesota state representative.^[400]
2008 –Jennifer Siebel Newsom, First Lady ofSan Francisco and futureFirst Partner of California, was also briefly a member of theAmerican Independent Party by accident^[401]
2009 –Jim Campbell, Maine state representative^[402]
2010 –Harri Anne Smith, Alabama state representative^[403]
2012 –Bruce McPherson, formerCalifornia Secretary of State and state assemblymember^[404]
2014 –Larry Pressler, former U.S. senator from South Dakota (1979–1997)^[405]
2014 –Sue Wagner, formerlieutenant governor of Nevada (1991–1995)^[406]
2014 –Bill Walker, later Independentgovernor of Alaska (2014–2018)^[407]
2015 –Nate Bell, Arkansas state representative.^[408]
2016 –Tom Campbell, former U.S. representative from California (1989–2001)^[409]
2016 –Larry Dunphy, Maine state representative^[410]
2016 –Gordon J. Humphrey, former U.S. senator from New Hampshire (1979–1990)^[411]
2016 –Evan McMullin, Republican congressional staff member until July 2016, launchedan independent presidential campaign in August 2016
2016 –George Will, political commentator^[412]
2017 –Kevin Battle, Maine state representative^[211]
2017 –Norm Higgins, Maine state representative^[211]
2017 –Joe Scarborough, former U.S. representative from Florida (1995–2001) and host ofMorning Joe^[413]
2017 –Chris Vance, former Washington state representative and chair of the Washington Republican Party^[414]
2017 -Susannah Whipps, Massachusetts state representative^[415]
2017 –Rick Wilson, political strategist and operations chief forEvan McMullin 2016 presidential campaign, as well as co-founder ofThe Lincoln Project.
2018 –Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice of theCalifornia Supreme Court (2011–2023)^[416]
2018 –Charles Djou, former U.S. representative from Hawaii (2010–2011)^[417]
2018 –Steve Poizner, formerCalifornia insurance commissioner (2007–2011)^[418]
2020 –Paul Mitchell, former U.S. representative from Michigan (2017–2021)
2021 –Phelps Anderson, New Mexico state representative^[419]
2021 –Knute Buehler, former Oregon state senator and Oregon gubernatorial nominee in2018
2021 –Joe Camacho, Northern Mariana Islands territorial representative^[420]
2021 –Jim Hendren, Arkansas state senator^[421]
2021 –Jim Nussle, former U.S. representative from Iowa (1991–2007)^[422]
2022 –Rick Becker,North Dakota state representative^[423]
2022 –Denver Riggleman, former U.S. representative from Virginia (2019–2021)^[424]
2023 –Nathan Hochman, formerU.S. assistant attorney general^[425]
2023 –Dan Hynes, New Hampshire state representative^[426]
2024 –Aidan Ankarberg, New Hampshire state representative^[427]
2024 –Thomas Manglona, Northern Mariana Islands territorial representative^[428]
2024 –George Santos, former U.S. representative from New York (2023)^[429]
2025 –Rick Bennett, Maine state senator^[430]
2026 –Edward Clere, Indiana state representative^[431]

Switches by independents or other parties

[edit]

Independent or other party to Democratic

[edit]

1874 –Joseph Pulitzer, publisher ofThe World newspaper switched from theLiberal Republican party to theDemocratic party, where he served as a U.S. representative from New York as a Democrat until 1911.
1969 –Joe Biden, later member of the New Castle County council from the 4th district (1971–1973), U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009),vice president of the United States (2009–2017),president of the United States (2021–2025), was previously registered as an independent^[432]
1974 –Raúl Grijalva, U.S. representative from Arizona (2003–2025), was previously a member of theRaza Unida Party^[433]
1990s –Brian Schatz, laterstate representative (1998–2006),Hawaii Democratic Party chair (2008–2010),lieutenant governor (2010–2012), and U.S. senator (2012–present) from Hawaii. Switched from theGreen Party.^[434]
1996 –Walt Minnick, staff assistant and deputy assistant director for the Office of Management and Budget for Richard Nixon, and 1996 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, later U.S. representative from Idaho (2009–2011)^[435]
2002 –Joe Bertram, later a Hawaii state representative, switched from the Green Party.^[436]
2004 –Peter Clavelle, while mayor of Burlington left theVermont Progressive Party.
2006 –David Segal, initially elected as a Green to theProvidence city council, he joined the Democratic Party to run for theRhode Island House of Representatives, where he served from 2007 to 2011.^[437]^[438]
2009 –Richard Carroll,Arkansas state representative. At the time of his switch, he was the onlyGreen Party state legislator in the United States.^[439]
2015 –Ben Chipman,Maine state representative^[440]
2019 –David Johnson, Iowa state senator after being an Independent from 2016 to 2019 and a Republican until then.^[441]
2020 –Brittney Barreras, New Mexico state representative^[442]
2022 –Sophia Warren, Maine state representative^[443]
2023 –Roy Daryl Adams,Louisiana state representative^[444]

Independent or other party to Republican

[edit]

1941 –Henrik Shipstead, while U.S. senator from Minnesota, switched from theFarmer-Labor Party to the Republican Party.^[445]
2003 –Kelly Ayotte, futureNew Hampshire Attorney General, U.S. senator from New Hampshire, andgovernor of New Hampshire
2011 –Joel Robideaux, while a Louisiana state representative. He was initially elected as an independent.^[446]
2012 –Jenna Netherton, South Dakota state representative^[447]
2014 –Michael Peroutka, member of theAnne Arundel County council and2022 nominee for Maryland Attorney General, switched from Constitution to Republican
2017 –Austin Petersen, writer, commentator, and political candidate, switched fromLibertarian Party to Republican^[448]
2020 –Elon Musk, businessman and political figure^[449]
2024 –Cara Mund,Miss America 2018, independent candidate for U.S. House in North Dakota2022, and candidate in Republican primary for U.S. House in2024^[450]

Multiple party switches

[edit]

Democratic to Republican to Democratic

[edit]

1854 –Francis Preston Blair, a supporter of presidents Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who became disillusioned with radical Reconstruction policies
1854 –Francis Preston Blair Jr., Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States in 1868. His family had been unwavering supporters of Republican Abraham Lincoln, but he opposed the post-war Reconstruction policy. He had earlier been a friend of Democrat Thomas Hart Benton, and like his father he had also been a member of theFree Soil Party.
1854 –Montgomery Blair,postmaster general for President Lincoln. His family left the Democratic Party to join the Republican Party, but he rejoined the Democratic Party after the war.
1965 –Arlen Specter, U.S. senator from Pennsylvania (1981–2011). He was a Republican from 1965 to 2009 and a Democrat from 1951 to 1965 and from 2009 until his death in 2012.^[451]
1995 –Eric Adams,mayor of New York City, New York (2022–2025). Joined the Republican Party in 1995, but returned to the Democratic Party in 2002.
2003 –Tommy Dickerson, Mississippi state senator.^[452]
2003 –Johnny Ford, Alabama state representative.^[453]^[454]
2008 –Jim Bradford, South Dakota state representative.
2009 –Parker Griffith, former U.S. representative from Alabama (2009–2011). Joined the Republican Party in 2009, but returned to the Democratic Party in 2014.^[455]
2012 –Artur Davis, former U.S. representative from Alabama (2003–2011). Joined the Republican Party in 2012, but returned to the Democratic Party in 2015.^[456]
2015 –Joe Baca, former U.S. representative from California (1999–2013). Joined the Republican Party in 2015, but returned to the Democratic Party in 2018.^[457]^[458]

Democratic to Independent to Democratic

[edit]

2021 –Paige Cognetti, mayor ofScranton, Pennsylvania, switched from Democratic Party to Independent to run for mayor of Scranton outside of the Democratic primary. She rejoined the party in 2021, and won the Democratic primary that year.^[459]
2021 –Aaron Coleman, Kansas state representative, switched from Democratic Party to Independent before switching back to the Democratic Party.^[460]
2022 –Ellen Read, New Hampshire state representative, switched from Independent to the Democratic Party after having been a Democrat until 2021.^[461]^[462]
2024 –Tony Labranche, former New Hampshire state representative, rejoined the Democratic Party after having been an Independent between 2022 and 2024.^[463]^[464]

Republican to Democratic to Republican

[edit]

1960 –Jerry Solomon, later U.S. representative from New York (1979–1999). Originally a Republican, he became a Democrat in 1960 and returned to the GOP in 1968.^[465]
1974 –Matthew G. Martinez, U.S. representative from California (1982–2001). Originally a Republican, he became a Democrat in 1974 and returned to the GOP in 2000 after losing renomination in the Democratic primary.^[466]
1992 –Evan Jenkins, West Virginia state delegate, later U.S. representative for West Virginia (2015–2019). Originally a Republican, he became a Democrat in 1992. He returned to the GOP in 2013 to mount a campaign for Congress.^[467]
1997 –Betsy McCaughey,lieutenant governor of New York (1995–1998). Originally a Republican, she became a Democrat in 1997. She returned to the GOP in 2010.
2013 -Elbert Guillory,Louisiana state senator (2009-2016). Originally a Republican, Guillory ran for theLouisiana House of Representatives in 2007 as a Democrat, later being elected to the state senate as a Democrat before switching back to Republican in 2013.
2017 –Jim Justice,governor of West Virginia (2017–2025), U.S. Senator from West Virginia (2025–present)^[468]
2018 –Daniel Boman, Alabama state representative

Republican to Independent to Republican

[edit]

1999 –Bob Smith, U.S. senator from New Hampshire (1990–2003), left the Republican Party on July 13, 1999, while running for the party's presidential nomination; became an independent and declared himself a candidate for theU.S. Taxpayers Party presidential nomination and an independent candidate. On November 1, 1999, he returned to the Republican Party when a Senate committee chairmanship became open.^[469]
2016 –Blake Filippi, Rhode Island state representative, switched from Independent to Republican; he had also been Republican previously until 2012.^[470]
2024 –Arnold Palacios, Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, left the Republican Party in 2021 before returning in 2024^[471]
2024 –Dennis Pyle, Kansas state senator. Left the Republican Party in 2022 to mount anindependent campaign for Governor before returning in 2024.^[472]

Other variations

[edit]

1890 –Thomas E. Watson switched to thePopulist Party, later U.S. senator for Georgia as a Democrat (1921–1922)
1897 –John F. Shafroth, U.S. representative (1895–1904), governor (1909–1913), and U.S. senator from Colorado (1913–1919). First elected as a Republican, became aSilver Republican in 1897, and a Democrat in 1903.^[473]
1908 –Theodore A. Bell, former U.S. representative from California (1903–1905). He ran in several elections under different parties' banners.
1912 –Edward P. Costigan, later a U.S. senator from Colorado (1931–1937). Initially a Republican, launched theProgressive Party of Colorado in 1912, and was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1930.^[474]
1913 –Miles Poindexter, U.S. senator from Washington (1911–1923) switched to theProgressive Party until rejoining the Republican Party two years later.^[475]
1920 –Homer Bone, later a Washington state representative (1923–1925), U.S. senator from Washington (1933–1944) and judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1944–1970). First a member of theSocialist Party, unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House in 1920 with theFarmer–Labor Party and was elected to theWashington House of Representatives in 1923 with the Farmer-Labor Party, unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. House seat in 1928 as a Republican, and finally registered as a Democrat in 1932 to run for the U.S. Senate.^[476]
1932 –Henry A. Wallace,United States secretary of agriculture (1933–1940),vice president of the United States (1941–1945),United States secretary of commerce (1945–1946). He was a Republican, then a Democrat (1932–1947), then a Progressive (1947–1953)
1936 –Franck R. Havenner, U.S. representative from California (1937–1941; 1945–1953). He was a Republican, then a Progressive endorsed by the Democratic Party (1936–1939), then a Democrat endorsed by Progressives (1939–1941), then a Democrat solely.
1952 –Wayne Morse, U.S. senator from Oregon (1945–1969), changed from Republican to Independent in 1952^[477] and Independent to Democrat on February 17, 1955^[478]
1974 –D. French Slaughter Jr., while aVirginia state delegate became an independent. Later a U.S. representative as a Republican (1985–1991).
1976 –Harold L. Silverman,Maine state representative as a Republican (1973–1976), resigned to become a staffer to independent GovernorJames B. Longley,Maine state senator as an Independent (1979–1980), Democratic nominee forMaine's 2nd congressional district in 1980.
1980 -Charles Evers, civil rights activist, media personality, and former mayor ofFayette, Mississippi, switched from Democrat to independent in 1978 and to Republican in 1980.^[479]
1986 –Ray Metcalfe, former Alaska state representative (1979–1983) and activist. Republican until 1986, founded theRepublican Moderate Party of Alaska that year, and became a Democrat in 2006.^[480]^[481]
1988 –Ron Paul, former U.S. representative from Texas (1976–1977 and 1979–1985), became the Libertarian presidential nominee in 1988; later re-elected as a Republican U.S. representative (1997–2012) and was a Republican presidential candidate in 2008 and 2012.
1990 –Steve Beren, political activist from Washington. First a member of theSocialist Workers Party, became a Democrat in 1990, and a Republican in 2004.^[482]
1990 –Wally Hickel, formerU.S. secretary of the interior (1969–1970) left Republican Party before his successful bid forgovernor of Alaska (1966–1969 and 1990–1994), as nominee of theAlaskan Independence Party.^[483] He rejoined the Republican Party in 1994.
1994 –Wes Watkins, Democratic U.S. representative from Oklahoma (1977–1991), Democratic (1990) and Independent (1994) candidate forgovernor of Oklahoma and Republican U.S. representative from Oklahoma (1997–2003)
1995 –Colin Powell, formerUnited States secretary of state underGeorge W. Bush (2001–2005), formerchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff underGeorge H. W. Bush andBill Clinton (1989–1993), former national security advisor underRonald Reagan (1986–1989); switched from Independent to Republican in 1995. Aftersupporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, Powell said that he could no longer call himself a fellow Republican. He switched back to Independent.^[484]
1999 –Joel Giambra, city comptroller ofBuffalo, New York (1990–1999), county executive ofErie County, New York (2000–2007). He joined the Republican Party in 1999. In 2018, he joined theReform Party of New York State to run for governor.^[485]
1999 –Donald Trump, businessman and real estate developer, later 45th (2017–2021) and 47th (2025–) president of the United States, has been at various times a Republican, Democratic, Independent, and Reform Party member.
2000 –Virgil Goode, former U.S. representative from Virginia (1997–2009). Initially a Democrat, he sat as an Independent and later a Republican during his time in Congress. After Congress, he switched to theConstitution Party and became their nominee forpresident of the United States in the2012 election.^[486]^[487]
2001 –Michael Bloomberg, was a Democrat before running formayor of New York City, New York as a Republican. He later became an independent before rejoining the Democratic Party in 2018 and being a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020.^[488]
2002 –Sheila Kiscaden, Minnesota state representative elected as a Republican. She joined and won reelection as theIndependence Party of Minnesota candidate before accepting an invitation to join theMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in 2006.^[53]
2004 –Troy Jackson,President of the Maine Senate (2018–2024). First ran for office as a Republican in 2000, elected toMaine House of Representatives in 2002 as an Independent, became a Democrat in 2004.^[489]
2004 –Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. senator from Arizona (2019–2025) and former U.S. representative from Arizona (2013–2019), left the Green Party in 2004 to join the Democratic Party, then became an Independent in 2024.^[490]
2006 –Kari Lake, Republicannominee for governor of Arizona in 2022 andU.S. Senate in 2024, switched from Republican to Independent in 2006, became a Democrat in 2008, and returned to the Republican Party in 2012^[491]
2007 –Lincoln Chafee, former Independent and Democraticgovernor of Rhode Island (2011–2015), former Republican U.S. senator for Rhode Island (1999–2007), switched from Republican to Independent in 2007, switched from Independent to Democrat in 2013 while serving as governor of Rhode Island,ran for President in the2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries, switched toLibertarian Party in 2019^[492]
2008 –Mike Gravel, former U.S. senator from Alaska (1969–1981) and 2008 presidential candidate switched from Democratic to Libertarian before returning to the Democratic Party in 2010.^[493]
2008 –Ralph Nader, political activist andperennial presidential candidate, has at times been a member of the Democratic, Green, and Reform parties, and has been an independent since 2008^[494]
2008 –Matt Gonzalez, former supervisor of theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors andindependent vice presidential candidate in 2008, has at times been a member of the Democratic, Green andPeace and Freedom Party, and has been an independent since 2008^[495]
2009 –Jared Kushner, former senior advisor to the President (2017–2021) and director of the Office of American Innovation (2017–2021), has been at various times a Democrat, Independent, and Republican.
2009 –Kinky Friedman, musician, writer, and activist. Originally a Republican, Friedman became an Independent in 2004 and mounted an Independent campaign forGovernor of Texas in2006. He became a Democrat in 2009.^[496]
2010 –Charlie Crist,governor of Florida (2007–2011) and U.S. Representative (2017–2022). Originally a Republican, Crist left the party in 2010 and mounted anIndependent campaign for U.S. Senate in 2010. He became a Democrat in 2012, and was subsequently elected to congress as a Democrat.^[497]
2010 –Chase Oliver, perennial candidate and2024 Libertarian nominee for president, switched from Democrat to independent in 2009 before joining the Libertarian Party in 2010^[498]
2010 –Tom Tancredo, former U.S. representative from Colorado (1999–2009), switched to theConstitution Party to run forgovernor of Colorado, returned to Republican Party in 2011, became an Independent in 2015, returned to the Republican Party again in 2017
2014 –Robert R. Neall, Maryland state senator and future secretary of theMaryland Department of Health. Originally a Democrat, he became a Republican in 1972 before returning to the Democratic Party in 1999. He left the Democratic Party for the GOP again in 2014.^[499]
2014 –Carole Keeton Strayhorn,Mayor of Austin (1977–1983),Texas railroad commissioner, (1994–1999),Texas comptroller of public accounts (1999–2007). Originally a Democrat, she became a Republican in 1986 in order to run for congress. She left the GOP in 2006 to mountan independent campaign forGovernor of Texas, and rejoined the Democratic Party in 2014. She remained a registered Democrat until her death in 2025.
2016 –Michael Bloomberg,Mayor of New York City and candidate in the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries was a initially a Democrat, became a Republican in 2001, left the GOP to become an Independent in 2007, and rejoined the Democratic Party in 2018^[500]
2016 –Cynthia Davis, former Missouri state representative, switched from Republican to the Constitution Party in 2011 before switching back in 2016.^[501]
2016 –Bill Weld, formergovernor of Massachusetts (1991–1997), switched to theLibertarian Party. Returned to the Republican Party in 2019.^[502]
2017 –Althea Garrison, member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives (1993–1995) and theBoston City Council (2019–2020), and the first transgender person elected to a state legislature. She has, at various times, been a Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent. Her most recent party switch came in 2017, when she switched from the Democratic Party back to being an Independent. She served her term in the House of Representatives as a Republican.
2019 –John Doll, Kansas state senator, switched back to the Republican Party after becoming an Independent in 2018, had previously been a Republican since 2006 and a Democrat before 2006.
2019 –S. Marshall Wilson, then aWest Virginia state delegate, changed his party affiliation from Republican to Independent in 2019, then to the third party America Coming Together in 2022, and then to theConstitution Party in 2023.^[503]^[504]^[505]
2020 –Max Abramson, before and while a New Hampshire state representative was a member of multiple parties, including the Republican Party, Libertarian Party, an Independent, the Reform Party, the Democratic Party, and the Veterans' Party. He is currently a member of the Republican Party.
2020 –Dario Hunter, former member of theYoungstown Board of Education and perennial candidate, was a Democrat before leaving in 2017 to be an independent. Joined the Green Party in 2018 before joining theOregon Progressive Party in 2020
2021 –Kenneth Mejia,Los Angeles city controller (2022–present) switched from Democratic to Green in 2017 before switching back to the Democratic Party in 2021.^[506]
2021 –Malinda White, while a Louisiana state representative, switched from Independent to Republican; she had been a Democrat until 2021.
2021 –Ervin Yen, former Oklahoma state senator. Initially a Democrat, Yen became a Republican in 2009. He left the GOP in 2021.^[507]
2022 –Rocky Anderson, formerMayor of Salt Lake City andthird–party presidential candidate, was a Democrat until founding theJustice Party, returned to the Democratic Party in 2022^[508]
2022 –John Andrews, while a Maine state representative, switched from Republican to Libertarian before switching back to Republican.^[443]
2022 –Kevin Horan, while a Mississippi state representative, switched from Independent to Republican. He had been a Democrat until 2020.
2022 –Bob Krist, Nebraska state senator was elected as a Republican, switched to an Independent and then a Democrat to run forgovernor of Nebraska, then returned to the Republican Party.^[509]
2022 –Brandon Phinney, New Hampshire state representative switched to theLibertarian Party^[510] before switching back to the Republican Party in 2022.^[511]
2022 –Miles Taylor, former chief of staff of theUnited States Department of Homeland Security left the Republican Party to become an independent, then joined theForward Party.^[512]
2022 –Fred Thiele, while New York state assemblyman, switched to the Democratic Party fromIndependence Party of New York after having previously been a member of theAlliance Party and Republican Party^[513]
2023 –Brian Boquist, while an Oregon state senator, switched from Republican toIndependent Party of Oregon before returning to the Republican Party.
2023 –Megan Hunt, Nebraska state senator, left the Democratic Party to become an independent, but has previously been a member of the Republican and Libertarian parties.^[514]
2024 –Justin Amash, U.S. representative from Michigan (2011–2021) and Senate candidate in 2024, left the Republican Party in 2019 to become an Independent, joined the Libertarian Party in 2020, then rejoined the Republican Party in 2024.^[515]
2024 –Laura Ebke, former Nebraska state senator, switched to theLiberal Party USA after having switched to theLibertarian Party in 2017 from the Republican Party.^[516]
2024 –John Eder, Maine state representative (2003–2007, 2024–present). Initially a member of theMaine Green Independent Party, Eder became a Democrat in 2018 and a Republican in 2024.
2024 –Tulsi Gabbard, former representative from Hawaii (2013–2021) and candidate in the2020 Democratic presidential primaries, left the Democratic Party in 2022, became an Independent, and joined the Republican Party in 2024.^[517]
2025 –David Jolly, former U.S. representative from Florida (2014–2017), left the Republican Party in 2018 to become an Independent,^[518] and joined the Democratic Party in 2025.^[519]
2025 –Joe Walsh, former U.S. representative from Illinois (2011–2013) and candidate in the2020 Republican presidential primaries, left the Republican Party in 2020 to become an Independent, and joined the Democratic Party in 2025.^[520]
2026 –Greg Lopez, former U.S. representative from Colorado (2024–2025), left the Democratic Party in 1994 to become a Republican, and left the Republican Party in 2026 to run as an Independent forgovernor of Colorado.^[521]