A member of the Georgia state House of Representatives has switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, after breaking with her former party over issues like school choice and policing.
“My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party,” Ms. Mainor wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn’t a political decision for me. It was a MORAL one. I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own.”
My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party.
— Rep. Mesha Mainor (@MeshaMainor) July 11, 2023
I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn’t a political decision for me. It was a a MORAL one.
I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own. pic.twitter.com/q3snDGejCN
Ms. Mainor’s break with the Democratic Party came amid a disagreement over school choice legislation and support for police funding. Earlier this year Mainor was the only Democrat who voted for a bill that would have created $6,500 vouchers for students at schools performing in the bottom 25 percent of the state to help pay for private school tuition or homeschooling. The bill ultimately failed after enough Republicans joined the rest of the House Democrats who voted against the voucher system.
Ms. Mainor was also one of three Democrats to vote in 2021 in favor of HB 286; a bill that constrains the ability of county governing authorities to rapidly reduce funding for local police forces.
“When I decided to stand up on behalf of disadvantaged children in support of school choice, my Democrat colleagues didn’t stand by me. They crucified me,” Ms. Mainor explained in a statement to Fox News on Tuesday. “When I decided to stand up in support of safe communities and refused to support efforts to defund the police, they didn’t back me. They abandoned me.”
Georgia Republicans welcomed Mainor’s party switch.
“We are delighted to welcome Rep. Mainor to the Georgia Republican Party and look forward to collaborating with her to advocate on behalf of hard working Georgians,” said Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon. “Our Party stands for empowering parents to be advocates for giving their children the best education possible, that every [Georgian] deserves to feel safe at home, at work, and in school; and to have the economic opportunity to build better lives.”
By Ryan Morgan
