California GOP lawmaker becomes a Democrat, leaving just 19 Republicans in the state Assembly
![Brian Maienschein.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G68JLLGYLD7HyJM84ddqE3-415-80.jpg)
And then there were 19.
California Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, re-elected in November as a Republican in the 77th district, announced on Thursday that he has switched parties and is now a Democrat. "Leaving the Republican Party is not easy," Maienschein said in a statement. "I can either keep fighting to change the Republican Party or I can fight for my constituents. I choose to use my energy and skills for the people I represent." President Trump's leadership is one reason he is changing his party affiliation, Maienschein said, but he's also realized that he's not following the GOP in its rightward drift.
Now that Maienschein is a Democrat, there are only 19 Republicans in California's 80-member Assembly. Maienschein represents northeastern San Diego, and San Diego GOP chairman Tony Krvaric isn't happy with the move. He's called on Maienschein to resign, and said he's "the absolute worst kind of politician."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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