Party switching in the United States

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In United States politics, party switching is any change in party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one who is currently holding elected office. In the United States' dominant two-party system, the switches most commonly occur between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, although there have also been a number of notable switches to and from third parties, and even between third parties. Use of the term party switch often connotes a transfer of held power from one party to another.

The majority of party switchers in the modern era have switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. This behavior has been most widespread in the South, especially during the Civil Rights movement, due to the Democratic Party's positions on civil rights and social issues which were unpopular at the time in this predominantly conservative region. LBJ famously remarked, upon signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, "We have just lost the South for a generation."

Contents

[edit] Motivations

There are a number of reasons why an elected official, or someone seeking office, might choose to switch parties. One reason is ethical obligation--the person feels their views are no longer aligned with those of their current party.

A second reason is to gain power and influence. The incumbent may be a member of the minority party in a legislature and would like to gain the advantages of being in the majority party, such as the potential to chair a committee.

Another reason is simply "to get elected." This may be the primary reason when the opposing party's base in a constituency is reaching a size that threatens the safe reelection of the incumbent.

[edit] History

[edit] The nineteenth century

The shifting of allegiance between political parties was much more common during the nineteenth century than it is today. It took several years for political parties as we know them today to coalesce after the founding of the United States, and many parties formed and fell apart rapidly.

A massive party switch occurred in the 1800s and 1810s when many members of the United States Federalist Party joined the United States Democratic-Republican Party. When this party fell apart in the 1820s, its members all switched to various political parties, including the United States Whig Party, as well as the Democratic, National Republican, Anti-Jackson and Anti-Mason Party. The Republican Party was also formed by a massive party switch in 1854 when northern members of the Whig, American and Free Soil parties, along with a few northern Democrats, formed the Republican Party, and many Southern Whigs became Democrats. Following the United States Civil War the Republican Party faced several massive party switches. As Reconstruction ended, many Southern Republicans became Democrats. In 1872 Republicans dissatisfied with President Ulysses S. Grant formed the Liberal Republican Party and had a joint presidential campaign with the Democrats. Most Liberal Republicans soon returned to the main Republican Party, however. A similar situation occurred in 1884 when the mugwumps left the Republican Party and supported the Democratic presidential candidate, later rejoining the Republican party. The next major conflict in the Republican Party occurred in 1896 when Republican supporters of Free silver left the party to form the Silver Republicans, though again most of these politicians later rejoined the Republican Party. By the late 19th century, as the Democratic and Republican parties became more established, however, party switching became less frequent.

[edit] The twentieth century

The shifts in American voter demographics beginning in the second half of the twentieth century - the southern states from Democratic to Republican, and New England and the west coastal states from Republican to Democratic - have prompted several incumbent federal legislators and many state legislators to switch parties.

[edit] Notable party switchers

Notable party switchers of the modern era include:

[edit] Democrat to Republican

Though he never formally changed his affiliation, former U.S. Senator Zell B. Miller (D-Georgia), caucused with the Senate Republicans and spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

[edit] Democrat to third party/independent

[edit] Republican to Democrat

[edit] Republican to third party/independent

  • 1912 - Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, left the Republican Party after a failed attempt to be nominated for President again. He ran as the candidate of the newly formed Progressive Party, better known as the Bull Moose Party, and received second place, doing better than the Republican candidate but being defeated by the Democratic candidate.
  • 1935 - Robert M. La Follette, Jr., while U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, switched from the Republican Party to the Progressive Party.
  • 1936 - George William Norris, progressive Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska left the Republican Party to become an independent and was reelected to the Senate once more, but was defeated in 1942 by a Republican in a race which also involved a Democrat.
  • 1937 or 1938 - Vito Marcantonio, a liberal Republican congressman from New York left the party after being defeated for reelection, and joined the American Labor Party. He was then reelected to Congress.
  • 1952 - Wayne Morse, while U.S. senator from Oregon. He then switched from independent to Democrat in 1956.
  • 1972 - Roger MacBride, went from Republican to Libertarian and back to Republican
  • 1980 - John Bayard Anderson, Republican congressman from Illinois, left the Republican presidential primary race for an independent centrist campaign in the 1980 presidential election.
  • 1988 - Ron Paul, a former Republican congressman, ran for President as a Libertarian. He later returned to Congress as a Republican.
  • 1990's? - Arianna Huffington, wife of one-term U.S. Rep. Michael Huffington (R-California). She is now a frequent commentator with a large base of progressive and liberal fans. She even mounted an Independent bid for Governor of California in the 2003 recall election.
  • 1990 - Walter Hickel, before his successful bid for Governor of Alaska, switched to the Alaskan Independence Party. He rejoined the Republican party in 1994.
  • 1990 - Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., before running for governor of Connecticut
  • 1999 - Pat Buchanan, a conservative commentator who attempted to secure the 1996 Republican presidential nomination, left the Republican Party and gathered his supporters to take over the Reform Party, which made him their 2000 presidential nominee.
  • 1999 - Robert C. Smith United States Senator from New Hampshire, a well-known conservative, left the Republican Party while running for the Presidential nomination in 1999 and declared himself a candidate for the U.S. Taxpayer's Party presidential nomination, then an independent candidate. He finally returned to the GOP when a Senate committee chairmanship became open.
  • 2001 - James M. Jeffords, while U.S. senator from Vermont. This move changed the balance of power in the Senate from 50-50, with Republican Vice President Richard B. Cheney casting the tie-breaking vote and thus providing a "51" majority, to 50-49-1, giving the Democrats majority control of the Senate until the GOP regained control in 2003, following the 2002 midterm elections. Jeffords was given a committee chairmanship by the Democratic leadership and caucused with the Democrats until he chose not to run for re-election and left the Senate.
  • 2002 - Former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson announces he no longer considers himself a Republican due to the Republican Party of Minnesota's shift to the right on social issues. Carlson has not held elected office since 1999.
  • 2006 - Carole Keeton Strayhorn, while Comptroller of Texas. Disenchanted with Gov. Rick Perry's leadership of the state. Strayhorn decided to run against him in the 2006 state elections as an independent. Strayhorn claims to be still a Republican at heart.
  • 2006 - Ben Westlund, before his aborted candidacy for Governor. In December 2006, Westlund took the switch a step further by becoming a Democrat.
  • 2006 - Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman, joined the Libertarian Party.
  • 2007 - Micheal R. Williams, while a Tennessee State Senator, became an independent.

[edit] Other

There have been several instances of politicians continuing to be a member of a political party while running other campaigns as an independent. The most prominent examples include southern Democratic segregationists Strom Thurmond in 1948 and George Wallace in 1968, who remained in the Democratic Party for statewide campaigns but mounted national presidential campaigns as independents. Wallace later ran in the 1972 Democratic primaries. Earlier, liberal Republican Robert La Follette, Sr. ran for President as the candidate of the Progressive Party in 1924, while still remaining a Republican in the Senate.

Other political figures, such as Zell Miller and Ed Koch do not formally leave their parties, but support a candidate from another party. Miller and Koch, though well-known Democrats, supported Republican George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign. This received much media attention in 2004, when Democrats for Bush and Republicans for Kerry groups were formed. Similarly, in 1860 former Democratic President Martin Van Buren ended up supporting Abraham Lincoln due to his disagreements with Democratic policies on succession.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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