West Virginia Delegate Elliott Pritt has recently become the fourth lawmaker to switch from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party.
According to Fox News, Pritt, a freshman delegate who defeated the Republican incumbent in the 2022 election, wrote a letter to the House Democratic Caucus explaining his decision. "This decision has not been made lightly nor on a whim, and after weeks of personal consideration, soul searching, and discussion with my family and many of those who supported my election and campaign, I have come to the conclusion that to be an effective delegate for the people of my district and to accurately represent the will of my people, I can no longer in good conscious remain a Democrat," he wrote.
The West Virginia Republican Party chairwoman Elaine McArdle welcomed Pritt's departure from the Democratic Party. "Like so many West Virginians, Delegate Pritt has recognized that the Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party that our parents grew up with," she said. The Republican Party now holds 89 seats in the West Virginia House, with the Democrat Party's seats dropping to 11.
Following Pritt's announcement, the West Virginia Democrat Party issued a statement. State Chairman Del. Mike Pushkin said, "The only thing you can be sure of with Elliott Pritt is that there's nothing he won't do in the name of political expediency." House Minority Leader Doug Skaff also expressed disappointment in Pritt's decision, noting that he was one of the most vocal Democrats working within their caucus just a few weeks ago.
This move comes after Louisiana Rep. Jeremy LaCombe and fellow Louisiana Rep. Francis Thomas left the Democratic Party earlier this year, giving the Republicans in the state House the supermajority. North Carolina Rep. Tricia Cotham also recently switched from Democrat to Republican, giving the Republicans in her state the supermajority.
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