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San Francisco residents told a local news outlet about how they are switching political parties and argue the liberal state needs to moderate.
After the 2024 election, Democrats were in the wilderness, trying to figure out how to move forward. Some believe the party has drifted too far left on issues like the border, crime, and identity politics. But nearly a year later, others are questioning why this promised course correction still hasn’t materialized, to the point that some are giving up on the Democratic Party altogether.
The SF Chronicle spoke to multiple locals about why they have recently walked away from the Democratic Party in favor of the Republican Party, a phenomenon the paper called a “red shift.”
Immigration attorney Karina Velasquez, who had previously voted for former President Barack Obama and campaigned for former President Joe Biden in 2020, told the paper that she became “disillusioned” with the Democratic Party during the Biden presidency. She pointed to the party’s stances on repeat offenders and immigration that caused her to switch parties.
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San Francisco is one of America’s most liberal cities, but a rising tide of local voters are turning against the far-left policies that have been popular with Democrats in recent years. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I became a Republican because I’m more concerned the California Democrats are turning left,” Velasquez said. “By me becoming a Republican, I’ll become a spokesperson for moderation.”
Velasquez shared how she fled Venezuela for the United States and how immigration needs to get under control to keep the American dream alive for future immigrants.
“It’s time for the United States to come together,” she added. “I say that as somebody who had to get out of her country in her 20s with a tourist visa. The conservation of the American dream for immigrants is so important.”
Winnie Chen, an in-home caregiver and Uber driver who came from a largely Democratic-leaning family, noted very different reasons for shifting toward the Republican Party.
“I was always told to vote Democrat because they look out for the poor and disenfranchised,” he told the Chronicle.
But around 2019, the paper noted that Chen began to become upset with local leaders on how they were dealing with homelessness.
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There has been a shocking shift of voters, particularly from Latino and Asian groups, in favor of the GOP. (Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Chen also praised President Donald Trump’s tariffs, arguing they could “help shore up American industries” and are “not going to crash the economy.”
Carlos Hernandez, was raised by lifelong Democrats, but said public safety was the issue that caused him to drift away from the Democrats.
He argued that Trump has a unique masculine appeal or “fighting stance” that appeals to many Hispanic men.
“I think that’s what appeals to Hispanic men, his bravado,” Hernandez said. “Hispanic men, legal or not, have a great work ethic and extreme pride, and they look down on those who don’t.”
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Even the Democratic leaders in California have pushed to moderate policies in recent years. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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