(The Center Square) – Another south Texas official has left the Democratic Party to join the Republican Party, this time Kleberg County Attorney Kira Talip Sanchez.
Her reason, like that of other former Democrats who switched parties, is the border crisis. She joins Terrell County Judge Dale Carruthers, a former Democrat who switched parties last year, as well as state Reps. Ryan Guillen, R-Rio Grande City, and J.M. Lozano, R-Kingsville who also left the Democratic Party. Lozano’s district includes Kleberg County.
Sanchez, who was first elected in 2014, made the announcement at a Hispanic Republicans of Texas PAC 2024 Election Season Kickoff event Aug. 19. In a statement posted on social media, she said, “As County Attorney, I have been proud to work with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the citizens of Kleberg County. There is an unprecedented crisis at our Southern Border. I believe that the GOP’s policies of law and order protecting safety, and backing the blue best align with my values and the values of the citizens of Kleberg County. I look forward to working with my colleagues to keep South Texas safe.”
Sanchez was joined by HRT President Cassy Garcia, who challenged incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, in the last election and lost. Garcia thanked her for switching parties, saying, “Voters and even candidates are switching to the Republican party because Democrats no longer serve their interests. The best way to continue bringing folks over to the Republican Party is to keep pursuing policies that promote economic prosperity, keep our country safe and support freedom.”
Sanchez oversees the Kleberg County’s Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force. The county is participating in a multi-agency Operation Lone Star Task Force led by Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd. The task force has played a vital role in interdiction efforts along a major smuggling route along Highway 77 heading north and south from the border to Corpus Christi.
She also joins neighboring Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez, who told The Center Square the Democratic Party doesn’t represent his or his community’s values. Committed to upholding the law his entire professional career, he said, “the Democratic Party doesn’t represent us.”
Sanchez argues the Republican Party better aligns with her commitment to enforcing the law, a view Hispanic Texans supported in a poll conducted last year.
The rural south Texas county named after a founding family of the region, Kleberg, has a population of slightly more than 31,000. The majority, nearly 74%, are Hispanic. Its residents historically voted Democrat but flipped in 2020 to support former President Donald Trump, who received over 50% of the county’s vote.
