Republican lawmaker flips and becomes a Democrat

Oregon state Representative Cyrus Javadi has formally broken with the Republican Party, announcing this week that he is now a Democrat.

Speaking to Newsweek, Javadi explained the decision came after watching the GOP drift away from the values that once attracted him. He said he “switched because the Republican Party abandoned the principles that drew me to it in the first place: limited government, fiscal responsibility, free speech, free trade, and, above all, the rule of law.”

The move strengthens the Democratic majority in the Oregon House, giving them 37 out of 60 seats. It further limits Republican influence in a state that has long leaned Democratic. While party switches in U.S. politics don’t happen often, several lawmakers in recent years have chosen to leave their party. Since 2024, at least three Republicans have become independents, while eight Democrats have also walked away from their party affiliation.

Javadi first disclosed his decision in a September 5 Substack post, writing that it was not he who changed, but the Republican Party itself. He noted that while most Republicans he knows want “good things” such as safe communities and stable jobs, the leadership has turned in another direction.

“It’s not about governing. It’s about burning things down. It’s about isolating minority communities when politically convenient. It’s about waving the Constitution when it helps your argument and ignoring it when it doesn’t,” he wrote. “That’s not conservative. That’s opportunistic. And it corrodes everything it touches.”

In his conversation with Newsweek, Javadi said the GOP is moving away from “constitutional conservatism.”

“What we’re seeing nationally, and increasingly in statehouses like ours, is a party that’s turned away from constitutional conservatism and toward something darker: fear-mongering over problem-solving, slogans over substance, and performative outrage instead of real governance,” he said.

According to Javadi, the party has shifted to being “less about ideas” and “more about defending one man’s ego.”

“Friends and family tell me they’re worried, and they should be. They see people being detained without due process. Public servants harassed. Fundamental rights treated like bargaining chips. Government is supposed to protect our freedoms, not take them away. I can’t be part of a party that cheerleads for that kind of power grab while calling it patriotism,” he said.

Javadi pointed to health care, road and bridge funding, and education as priorities for his constituents, saying they needed him to deliver results.

“They needed someone to fight for Medicaid access and basic infrastructure. Instead, I was told to fall in line. To vote no. To create chaos for the sake of the next election,” he said. “That’s not leadership. That’s not conservatism. That’s not why I ran.”

While he does not see eye-to-eye with Democrats on every issue, Javadi argued that they are “the only party right now willing to govern” and that he has “found more common ground with Democrats who are serious about solving problems than with Republicans who are more interested in stoking outrage and obstructing progress.”

During the last legislative session, Javadi sided with Democrats on several major issues, including Governor Tina Kotek’s tax and fee package for road maintenance and a provider tax tied to Medicaid funding.

Javadi’s district covers much of the Oregon Coast, including Tillamook and Astoria. Though voters there elected him as a Republican, they also supported Kamala Harris in last year’s election by about five points. His shift has sparked anger among some conservatives back home, and according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, some are pursuing a recall effort against him.

He told Newsweek: “So why join the Democrats? Because they’re the only party right now willing to govern. I don’t agree with every Democratic policy, I still hold many of the same views I always have. But I’ve found more common ground with Democrats who are serious about solving problems than with Republicans who are more interested in stoking outrage and obstructing progress.

“If I want to keep doing the work, actual, practical, service-oriented work, this is the only place I can do it.

“My values haven’t changed. But the party I belonged to did. So I made a choice: keep serving my constituents with honesty, or keep pretending I didn’t see what was happening. I chose honesty.”

The Evergreen PAC, the House Republicans’ campaign organization, responded in a statement to The Oregon Capital Chronicle: “That mission is not affected by today’s announcement. Instead it strengthens our work, and our caucus, to advance those ideals by giving the north coast the opportunity to support a new leader who will put the needs of their communities above themselves.”

Democratic House Speaker Julie Fahey praised the decision in a post on X, writing: “Rep. Javadi’s commitment to problem solving has served his district well, and I’m excited to see what he’ll accomplish as a member of the House Democratic Caucus. His experience and expertise, particularly in health care, will continue to be a real asset to this chamber.”