West Virginia State Senator Evan Jenkins’ switch from the Democrat to the Republican Party to run for Congress has caused a stir. Angry Democrats have pegged him as an opportunistic turncoat, while Republican leaders are gleeful at having a viable candidate to take on long-time incumbent Nick Rahall while also tweaking the noses of the dominant party.
Party switching by politicians is nothing new.
President Teddy Roosevelt left the Republicans and formed his own Bull Moose Party. President Ronald Reagan was a Democrat until 1962. Hillary Clinton was a “Goldwater Girl” in 1964. The late Senator Arlen Specter left the GOP in 2009 after 44 years and ran (unsuccessfully) as a Democrat. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gone from Democrat to Republican to Independent.
West Virginia has had party switchers as well. Some have been successful in politics afterward and some have not.
Jay Rockefeller was a New York Republican when he came to Emmons, West Virginia in 1964 to work for an anti-poverty program. Two years later, Rockefeller changed his registration to Democrat and then ran successfully for the House of Delegates in 1966. Rockefeller went on to win elections to Secretary of State, Governor (twice) and U.S. Senate (five times).
Rush Holt, Sr., was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934 as a Democrat. The Weston native took a conservative turn during his tenure and lost his re-election in 1940. Holt switched to the Republican Party in 1949 and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1950 and Governor in 1952. Finally in 1954, Holt was elected to the House of Delegates as a Republican.
Mingo County attorney Spike Maynard served for years as a Democratically-elected circuit judge in his home county. In 1996, he was elected to the state Supreme Court. After losing his re-nomination in 2008, Maynard became a Republican and ran against Democratic Congressman Nick Rahall, but he lost 56%-44%.
Allen Loughry switched from Independent to Republican in 2011 before his run for the West Virginia Supreme Court. Loughry won election to the court in 2012.
Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper started out as a Republican, but switched to the Democratic Party during a bitter dispute with Republican Governor Cecil Underwood over the Charleston Airport. Since the switch in 1999, he has won re-election every time.
Wyoming County’s Daniel Hall lost a House of Delegates race as a Republican in 2006. He turned Democrat, and then won elections to the House of Delegates and the State Senate.
Richie Robb served as the Mayor of South Charleston as a Republican from 1975 until 2007. He even served a term as party chairman. During the George W. Bush presidency, Robb switched to the Democratic Party because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. He ran unsuccessfully for his party’s nomination for the 2nd district congressional seat in 2008.
And on the list goes.
Party switches have varying impacts. When done early in life, especially before entering politics, they are less significant. However, party changes during an election cycle can become a distracting issue.
Jenkins’ jump coincides with the start of a Congressional campaign, meaning it will be more of a focus for his opponents. How Jenkins handles the issue will go a long way in determining whether he is viewed by the electorate as a committed conservative who saw the light or a political opportunist.