Tallahassee, Florida – In a significant change in Florida’s political scene, State Representative Hillary Cassel announced her departure from the Democratic Party to join the Republican ranks, so identifying as the second Democrat to flip sides since the 2024 elections. This action improves the Republican supermajority in the state legislature even further.
Having represented House District 101 of Broward County since her first election in 2022, Cassel posted her decision on X. She highlighted in her post her agreement with the Republican vision of a more prosperous Florida and her concerns on the Democratic Party’s position on many topics, including backing of Israel.
“As a mother, I want to help build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not their labels,” Cassel explained.
She also attacked her former party for tolerating extremist progressive elements she believes validate acts of terrorism and for failing to explicitly support Israel. Cassel also expressed dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s relationship to regular Floridians, explaining that “the party no longer represents her values.” Her opinion reflects the increasing concern among some party members about the goals and direction of the Democrats.
Read also: Florida Housing achieves historic milestones under Governor DeSantis and legislative collaboration
The shift follows another Florida Democrat, Rep. Susan Valdes of Tampa, who turned Republican on December 9 after failing to be chosen chairwoman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee. Valdes’s change and later critique draw attention to a general dissatisfaction among some party members.
Republicans welcomed Cassel with wide arms. Miami Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez quickly modified the House website to show Cassel’s new allegiance and extended a warm welcome on social media. Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Evan Power, also praised Cassel’s action and noted her prospective value as a team player.
Cassell’s move has not been without controversy, though. Democrat from Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon commented on the decision, saying that this is “a betrayal of the voters who trusted her to represent their values as a Democrat.” Likewise, Kristen Browde, president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, questioned Cassel’s loyalty to her values and the commitments she made to her voters, especially with reference to equality and advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights.
The responses on both sides highlight the polarizing character of modern political debate and the difficulties negotiating party allegiance and personal conscience in public service.
With Cassel leaving the Democrats, the GOP’s supermajority in the Florida House increases; their total comes to 87 out of 120 members. For the Democratic Party, which had intended to lessen the Republican dominance in the most recent elections, this change creates major challenges. Originally a vocal advocate of property insurance policies among House Democrats, Cassel now gets ready to bring her legislative expertise to the Republican side of the aisle, where she hopes she may better fulfill her policy objectives and represent her community.
