Rep. Ryan Guillen, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that what made him change his party affiliation to Republican is that he can now vote the way he wants to without having to ''buck'' his party.
''I think folks were already supporting me because they know where I stand; they know that I represent them and ... I really believe that we're doing the right thing and that they're excited,'' Guillen told ''The Chris Salcedo Show.''
''I'm excited, and ... as we go forward... I'm looking forward to not having to buck my party to vote the way I vote.''
Guillen said that the values he holds dear, such as ''cutting taxes and creating jobs and the things that we stand for in south Texas, like protecting our oil field jobs, and supporting our troops and our law enforcement and securing the border, working to defend our property rights, our Second Amendment rights and the lives of the unborn,'' are the same values reflected in him and in most of his constituents.
''I believe I'm doing'' what voters ''expect me to do,'' Guillen said. ''I think that we're doing the right thing here. I think that they believe that I'm doing the right thing.''
The representative of 31st Congressional District in south Texas announced Monday that he would leave the Democratic banner behind him. But Guillen is not the first Republican to do so. In 2012, Rep. J.M. Lozano, a representative of south Texas, also decided to join the Republican ranks after redistricting.
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