The hits just keep on coming for Florida Democrats. After a devastating election cycle that saw the party fall short of even the most modest goals, the situation somehow manages to get worse.
Just weeks after being elected as Democrats, state representatives Hillary Cassel and Susan Valdes abandoned their party and joined the Republican Party.
Valdes’ district is in the Tampa area, while Cassel serves in Broward. Cassel’s district is blue enough that Republicans didn’t even nominate a candidate.
However, the Florida GOP may have known of the turncoat’s plans.
One party insider, granted anonymity in order to speak freely, told OutSFL, “This seems to have been in the works for a while.”
Attorney Michael Nemerof once worked for Cassel at her law firm, and believes she's been planning this for some time.
“Her decision is claimed to be made not lightly. Quite the contrary — she has been planning this all along to do whatever she needs to seek higher office in Florida instead of fighting for what she believes in.”
Nemerof says the LGBTQ community should feel betrayed, saying she came to the Dolphin Democrats asking for their endorsement.
“It is interesting that someone who also claims to have had a career representing ‘the people’ as a plaintiff's attorney advocating for homeowners rights would side with the Republican Party in favor of the insurance companies,” he said. “It is clear this decision was only to try to benefit herself in future political climbing.”
The two flips further cement the GOP’s supermajority in Tallahassee, with Republicans holding 87 seats to the Democrats’ 33. Democrats need at least 40 seats to have a meaningful “seat at the table” during legislative sessions.
The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus condemned the party switching.
“One has to wonder whether Rep. Hillary Cassel is abandoning her principles as well as her party and the voters who elected her. This is a representative who sought our endorsement and promised that she would defend equality. Now she is joining the forces of those who have sought to destroy it. This is inexplicable as well as disappointing. And it means that Cassel, like fellow turncoat Rep. Susan Valdes, can no longer be trusted by voters of either party.”
In her announcement, Cassel, who is Jewish, said Democrats weren’t supporting Israel enough. Valdes, who is term limited, said she didn’t want to spend her last term with her district being a non-priority to the Democratic Party.
