The Democratic Party faced yet another loss Monday as a state legislator fled to the GOP, the third in the last month, according to The Advocate.
State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe is jumping ship, making him the second Louisiana House Democrat to flip Republican this month after Rep. Francis Thompson, whose switch gave the GOP a supermajority, The Advocate reported. The announcement came on the first day of Louisiana’s legislative session on April 10, just a few days after North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham also turned red to give North Carolina Republicans a supermajority.
“House Democrats will continue to stand up for the working people of Louisiana,” Rep. Sam Jenkins, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told The Advocate. “We look forward to working with Rep. LaCombe during this legislative session to increase wages, lower costs, improve our schools and pass insurance reform that benefit Louisiana families and small businesses.”
The switch leaves Democrats with only 31 of the 105 members in the House. Republicans have 71. It comes as the Legislature prepares to convene for its annual session. #lalege #lagov
— Sam Karlin (@samkarlin) April 10, 2023
In 2019, LaCombe handily won his seat in a special election with 68% of the vote, and was later elected to a full term with 62%, according to The Advocate. LaCombe ran for state Senate in 2022, but lost to Republican Caleb Kleinpeter by nearly 9 points.
The new Republican, who represents District 18, is a small business owner, director of the nonprofit Janell Legier LaCombe Cancer Fund and has served on the Chamber of Commerce board, according to his campaign website.
Term-limited Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards will leave the governorship up for grabs come November, and Republicans see this as another opportunity to gain a seat and flip the state entirely red.
LaCombe did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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