After his own party criticised him for taking a pro-life position, a Nebraska state senator is switching from orange to purple. After 40 times, Nebraska position senator Mike McDonnell formally resigned from the Democratic Party and became a Republican.
In , a written speech explaining his determination, McDonnell wrote:” I have asked the Democrat Party to regard my spiritual based pro- career position. Rather, they have since changed their mind because I’ve been pro-life for the past month.
Next month, the Nebraska Democratic Party , voted to rebuke McDonnell, a Catholic, over his pro- life history, contending that his position “adversely affected the sexual rights of Nebraskans and the rights of trans individuals in the state”.
In January, Douglas County Democrats also voted  to block McDonnell’s party from receiving any money because he voted against sex change and abortion procedures for minors.
According to McDonnell,” The express Democratic Party voted to criticize me because I support living.” Being a Christian, a part of the Roman Catholic Church, and pro-life are more important to me than being a documented Democrat. Now I am changing my party affiliation to Republican”.
In , a speech , addressing his determination, McDonnell explained that he registered as a Democrat in 1984 and ran for the state Senate in 2016.
He said,” I wanted to see how we could develop our position while lowering our property taxes at the same time.” I informed the Democrat Party of Douglas County that I was in favor of life, that I was a Roman Catholic Church part, and that my views were based on that. But Douglas County Democrats, rather of respecting that, they decided to punish it. … I continued to voting pro- life”.
” This is not an easy selection”, the state senator added. ” After 40 years of being a documented Democrat, having your father tell you when you’re 10 years old,’ What are we? We’re European, we’re Catholic, and we’re Democrats.’ That kind of persisted in my mind.
Pointing to his new Republican Party colleagues, McDonnell said:” Over the last year, regardless of my decision ]on ] switching parties, they have been so supportive. We had excellent debate about what the Republican Party is doing, where they’re trying to get, and how I might fit in. But the greatest thing about ]it ] is now I can participate again”.
U. S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R- Neb., a previous governor of the state,  , responded , to McDonnell’s decision by writing on X:” I am pleased to welcome Sen. Mike McDowell to the Republican team”. He continued,” The extreme new Democrats are wooing voters and commonsense officials to our party.”
McDonnell is not the only Catholic to leave the Democrat Party as a result of what some people believe to be forced contraception extremism.
New studies , show , that bright American Catholics have been drifting away from the party for years, but in increasing numbers over the past two years, coalescing rather around the GOP.
A study of Michigan voters last month revealed that former President Donald Trump, the Republican nomination credited with appointing three judges to the U.S. Supreme Court who made Roe v. Wade, holds a significant result among Christian voters over President Joe Biden, a Democrat and self-described Catholic.
A week ago, the Catholic archbishop of Washington, D. C., Cardinal Wilton Gregory,  , called Biden a” cafeteria Catholic” due to his rejection of the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.
In response to McDonnell’s new party affiliation, Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb , issued a written statement , saying:” The Nebraska Democratic Party will continue to stand up for reproductive freedom and the human rights of the LGBTQ community”.
Kleeb added:” Our decision to censure Sen. McDonnell was never about him being a pro- life Catholic. Our party’s reaffirming of our core principles, which include preventing politicians from taking personal health decisions, and protecting women’s ability to make those decisions was the driving force behind our decision.
The Washington Stand was the publication that was first.
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