[ad_1]
Tuesday, Georgia State Rep. Meisha Mainor, D-Atlanta, announced her intentions to leave the Democratic Party with immediate effect. She made the announcement on social media:
“My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party. I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn’t a political decision for me. It was a MORAL one. I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own.”
Mainor also said “left-wing radicalism, lawlessness, and putting the interests of illegal aliens over the interest of Americans,” were additional reasons why she believed the Democratic Party “left her” and not the other way around.
Mainor was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2021, in House District 56, a Democratic stronghold that stretches from Atlantic Station to Westview. During the 2023 Legislative Session, there were Democrats calling for a primary opponent to challenge Mainor for her seat. State Senator Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, tweeted a blank check for $1,000 saying ‘all I need is a name,’ putting out a clarion call for any Democrat willing to challenge Mainor.
Mainor raised the ire of her Democratic Party colleagues after she showed support for a school choice bill, Senate Bill 233, according to reports. That bill would have created “Promise Scholarship Accounts,” which the State of Georgia will give each student a $6,500.00 subsidy per school year to pay for student expenses related to homeschooling and private schools.
“When I decided to stand up on behalf of disadvantaged children in support of school choice, my Democrat colleagues didn’t stand by me,” Mainor told Fox News. “They crucified me. When I decided to stand up in support of safe communities and refused to support efforts to defund the police, they didn’t back me. They abandoned me.”
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, assailed Mainor’s switch as a “stinging betrayal” of her Democratic constituents.
“House District 56 deserves a representative who will do the job they were elected to do, including fighting for high-quality public education,” Williams said in a statement.
Mainor’s shift increases the Republican majority in the Georgia House to 102 over the Democratic Party’s 78.
“For far too long, the Democrat Party has gotten away with using and abusing the Black community,” Mainor added. “For decades, the Democrat Party has received the support of more than 90% of the black community. And what do we have to show for it? I represent a solidly blue district in the city of Atlanta. This isn’t a political decision for me. It’s a moral one.”
Mainor has already been welcomed by high-powered Republicans. U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler congratulated Mainor for joining the Republican Party.
“[Mainor was] attacked the moment she spoke out for law enforcement and educational freedom. Grateful for her conviction, and her willingness to serve our state – as Georgia’s newest Republican,” said Loeffler.
Additionally, House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, said in a statement that Mainor is “joining the party of opportunity. Additionally, Governor Brian P. Kemp has also welcomed Mainor to the Republican Party.
“We welcome Representative Mainor to our party and look forward to working with her on issues for the benefit of hardworking Georgians,” said Governor Kemp in a tweet.
Related
[ad_2]
Source link
