Democratic defections in Florida are bad for the state — and democracy | Opinion

In a sign that Florida is moving closer to one-party rule, two Democratic lawmakers recently announced they have switched to the Republican Party.

The decisions by state Reps. Hillary Cassel of Broward County and Susan Valdes of Tampa give the GOP — and Speaker Danny Perez of Miami — the largest majority in Florida House history. Republicans don’t necessarily need that; they have passed their agenda easily in recent years as Democrats are increasingly left out of the legislative process. But the party switch gives Republicans an opportunity to gloat as Democrats become less relevant in state politics.

This is also a betrayal of voters who thought they elected two Democrats. Valdes defeated a Republican challenger in the November election, only to announce her party switch weeks later in early December. Cassel, first elected in 2022, was reelected last year without opposition in a South Broward district that, notably, voted for Donald Trump and shifted 17 percentage points to the right, the Herald reported.

It sure looks like Valdes and Cassel put self-preservation above party principles, knowing that Democrats can accomplish very little in a Legislature where Republicans have a supermajority. Both lawmakers will certainly see a boost in their legislative productivity now.

More important, though, is that even elected officials are jumping ship as the Florida Democratic Party hemorrhages voters — the GOP has achieved a historic 1 million voter-registration advantage — and cannot hold onto former blue bastions like Miami-Dade County, which Trump carried last year.

The party has been relegated to the role of protesting every time the GOP pushes extreme polices — such as a slew of new laws targeting LGBTQ people — but hasn’t been able to convince Floridians it can do a better job running the state.

“I’m tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress,” Valdes wrote in a statement in December. “I know that I won’t agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but in know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.”

Cassel, who’s Jewish, wrote in a statement posted on social media that she is “troubled by the Democratic Party’s failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism.”

“I’m constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians,” she wrote.

Cassel’s words should hit a nerve with Democratic leadership. Take the 2024 presidential election. It’s hard to tell voters the economy is doing well, by pointing to charts and data that show a vigorous recovery after the pandemic, when regular people worry about affording groceries and gas.

Florida would be best served by two vibrant political parties rather than a single dominant one that could rule without checks and balances or input from those with opposing views.

With one party in control, policy discussions would become perfunctory. Diverse perspectives would likely be lost. Legislation could be pushed through without the kind of scrutiny that points out flaws or inconsistencies that should be fixed. Without meaningful opposition, the political process becomes little more than an echo chamber.

This is the kind of scenario that the founders warned us about in the Federalist Papers — specifically, when James Madison cautioned that unchecked factions would legislate for their own interests and ignore the needs of the general population.

The healthiest democracies thrive on vigorous debate and refinement of ideas through political competition. Ensuring diversity of ideas and fostering meaningful debate is a cornerstone of democracy itself. Both parties must recognize their actions will shape the state beyond what is politically advantageous today. Floridians deserve to be represented by leaders on both sides of the aisle.

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