Kentucky Senate Democrat switches parties to GOP in major blow to Dem Gov Andy Beshear
Kentucky state Democratic Sen. Robin Webb, who represents Kentucky's rural 18th Senate district, is switching her party affiliation to Republican after she says the Democrat Party "left me."
"First and foremost, I'm a mother, a rancher and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky's coal country," Webb explained. "As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values."
"It has become untenable and counterproductive to the best interests of my constituents for me to remain a Democrat."
Webb was originally elected to the Kentucky State House after defeating Republican Ramona Gee in 1998.
This comes as a major blow to Kentucky Democrats, who have historically held a stronghold in rural regions of the state largely due to union workers and the coal industry.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told a local Louisville news outlet that he "would consider" a run as the Democratic nominee for president in 2028, and the newly elected Democratic governor and potential presidential candidate now faces an additional challenge to mobilize his state's party ahead of the 2026 midterms.
"Like countless other Kentuckians, [Webb] has recognized that the policies and objectives of today's Democratic Party are simply not what they once were, and do not align with the vast majority of Kentuckians," Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Robert Benvenuti added.
"I always respected that [Webb] approached issues in a very thoughtful and commonsense manner, and that she never failed to keenly focus on what was best for her constituents," Benvenuti added. "It is my pleasure to welcome Sen. Robin Webb to the Republican Party."
Despite Beshear serving in the governor's office, the attorney general's office, secretary of state and both chambers of the state legislature have a Republican majority.
"While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party — the party left me," Webb said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Andy Beshear's office but did not receive a response.
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston
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Harvard Business Review
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Yahoo
21 minutes ago
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Letters to the Editor: Democrats, want to appeal to young men? Show them how Trump's hurting them
To the editor: Contributing writer Josh Hammer's advice to Democrats on attracting more young male voters can be summarized laughably as: Become MAGA ('My unsolicited advice for Democrats learning to talk to men,' June 6). But I would venture that there is little political space left for more populist appeals to disaffected male voters who are terrified of changing demographics and industrial paradigms, and who feel entitled to dominion over others as a de facto perk of their gender or religion. MAGA owns this territory wholesale. A better strategy for Democrats would be to make plain to this voter group that President Trump's populism is a sham, and that he has no intention of sharing the spoils of his presidency with them despite his superficial acknowledgment of their anxieties. Pound incessantly at Trump's unapologetic affiliation with the billionaire class and his efforts to enrich them and himself at voters' expense. Demonstrate how Trump's authoritarian oligarchy is already well on the way to further depriving them of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and replacing it with little more than the petty succor of 'owning the libs.' That is far better for the future of the United States than creating more MAGA men. Greg Seyranian, Redondo Beach .. To the editor: I can certainly relate to the economic concerns of young men today. I myself lived paycheck to paycheck until my mid-40s. But as an 82-year-old, I have experienced several generations and had the benefit of experience shared with me by my father and grandfather. Every generation has its challenges, some universal and some unique. And in each generation, there are some who either cannot or will not stand up to these challenges. Young men in this category tend to gravitate to religious, political or ideological authoritarian figures looking for confirmation of their own worth. So, it is no wonder that some young men in this situation are attracted to Trump and the MAGA culture. Jim Sims, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Hammer recommends masculinizing the Democratic Party by rejecting climate mitigation, which he claims would increase the cost of energy 'in favor of Mother Earth.' Even with the upfront costs of retrofitting for a renewable energy-based economy, renewables are less expensive than fossil fuels over the long term. The clue was always in the term 'renewable.' Additionally, when considering the environmental costs of burning fossil fuels, including extreme heat, droughts, crop failures, food shortages, floods and mass migrations, renewable energy proves to be considerably less costly. The price of exacerbating the climate crisis will be borne mainly by those for whom Hammer professes concern: The "over half of Americans [who] now live paycheck to paycheck." It might seem too feminine for Mr. Hammer to care about Mother Earth. Still, a real man faces the truth that increased global temperatures will result in not only the loss of the Earth as we know it but also the loss of human habitat and human life. Richard Lyon, La Crescenta, Calif. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
