Supporters of former President Donald Trump are crossing the political aisle — becoming Democrats.
New Jersey State Senator Samuel Thompson, a delegate for Trump in 2016 and 2020 who has hailed the president “success,” said he left the GOP because local party leaders questioned his fitness for office due to age.
“Betrayal by my teammates was too much — it was too much for me,” Thompson told the Associated Press on Monday. “I have not left my party. My party leader has left me.”
Thompson is up for re-election later this year as a Democrat. He will face a “difficult” GOP primary, the New Jersey Globe reported.
He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2012 before four terms in the state senate.
In a statement, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) welcomed Thompson to the party.
“A former U.S. Army veteran and research chemist who served for more than 20 years at the New Jersey Department of Health, Senator Thompson has built a reputation as a tireless public servant who puts constituent service first,” he said. “The Democratic Party has always been a big tent party and I welcome Senator Thompson to our ranks.”
Democrats now hold 25 of the chamber’s 40 seats.