GOP defections spiked in several states in the aftermath of Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Defections from the Republican Party have spiked in several key states in the aftermath of the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Bloomberg reports.

In Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania around 57,000 voters combined have left the GOP in the weeks following the attack, which many people consider to have been inspired by former President Donald Trump. That number is small compared to the more than 74 million people who voted for Trump last year, but it could still have an effect on the shape of the party going forward and strengthen the former president's base within the GOP's ranks, Bloomberg notes.

The data also indicates that departures are much more significant among Republicans than Democrats. Per Bloomberg, there's always been some fluctuation, but in North Carolina, for example, Democratic and Republican voters had been leaving their parties at roughly the same rate as recently as December 2020. In the days and weeks after Jan. 6, however, the Republican numbers shot up dramatically, while the Democratic figures remained steady. And in Colorado, 11 Republicans have left for every Democrat. Read more about GOP defection data and how it could alter the political landscape in swing states at Bloomberg.

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