The Chief Justice of California's Supreme Court said Thursday she had left the Republican Party and reregistered as an Independent voter in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.
In a phone interview with CALmatters, Tani Cantil-Sakauye — who was a prosecutor before becoming a judge 28 years ago and California Supreme Court chief justice in 2011—said she made the final decision after watching the contentious Senate hearings.
"You can draw your own conclusions," she said.
"I've been thinking about it for some time," Cantil-Sakauye told the outlet, adding she talked it over with her husband and friends and their consensus was "you didn't leave the party. The party left you."
"I felt compelled to make a choice now," said Cantil-Sakauye, the first Filipina-American Supreme Court justice and the second woman to serve as California's chief justice. "It better suits what I do and how I approach issues."
Cantil-Sakauye joins other prominent Republicans who have disavowed or left the GOP, including commentator George Will, former Rep. David Jolly of Florida, and ex-GOP strategist Steve Schmidt.
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