Democratic North Las Vegas mayor to join GOP

The Democratic mayor of North Las Vegas, Nev., John Lee, has joined the Republican Party.

Lee said in a video posted to Twitter that he is “proud to be a Republican” and looks forward to working with the GOP and looks “forward to working alongside you to Make America Great Again.”

It’s official. The switch is on! pic.twitter.com/YuemifyHBY

— John Lee (@MayorJohnLee) April 6, 2021

In a Tuesday interview with Fox and Friends, Lee said he switched his party affiliation after “card-carrying members of the socialistic party” were elected to leadership posts in the Nevada Democratic Party’s leadership elections.

According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the candidates were affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.

He also said that more conservative Democrats, such as those that may be pro-life of pro-gun rights, are not really a part of the Democratic Party.

“When you’re a pro-life Democrat, a pro-gun Democrat and you’re a very conservative person, that’s not really well-known in the Democratic Party anymore, and so for me to hang on as long as I did hoping the party would change, it didn’t, it got worse,” he said.

Nevada Democratic Party Chair Judith Whitmer said Lee’s departure says more about Lee than the party.

She said it was “unfortunate he feels he needs to invoke our recent statewide leadership elections to justify his disaffiliation with our Party, but the fact of the matter is that Mayor Lee finds himself at odds with President Biden, Governor [Steve] Sisolak (D) and all Democrats in Nevada who are fighting to provide real relief to working people.”

“Across the board, the Democratic Party is delivering results and making good on our promises to all Nevadans,” Whitmer continued in a statement. “It’s not only good policy, but good politics. NV Dems intends to continue delivering results and electing Democrats up and down the ballot on 2022 and beyond.”

A more conservative figure, Lee has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association and and claims to have voted for former President Trump twice.

Lee, who has often clashed with Sisolak, told the Review- Journal last week that people had approached him about switching his party and running in the gubernatorial race in 2022.

“I’m flattered, but at this point, I’m still focused on some big projects in North Las Vegas, and I don’t want to be distracted,” he said at the time.