Monday, Veteran Tallapoosa County District Judge Kim Taylor announced that he is resigning from the Tallapoosa County Democratic Party and is joining the Tallapoosa County Republican Party.
Taylor made the announcement at the Tallapoosa Republican Party meeting Sunday night.
“I am changing my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, effective immediately” said Taylor. “The Republican Party is the party that is more aligned with my conservative core values and I am honored to join this party.”
Tallapoosa County GOP Chair Lee Hamilton welcomed Taylor into the Republican Party, highlighting his experience on the bench.
“Judge Taylor has been an exceptional, conservative jurist for many years and the Republican Party is honored to have him on our team,” said Hamilton.
“We are excited to have Judge Taylor in the Grand Old Party,” Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan said. “He is an outstanding jurist and will feel right at home in the ALGOP. We welcome all who share our values and are proud that 65% of all partisan elected officials in Alabama are Republicans.”
Taylor was the last remaining Democratic elected officeholder in Tallapoosa County government. At one time every Tallapoosa County office holder was an elected Democrat. Republicans now hold every non-multicounty countywide elected position, a majority on the county commission, as well as House District 81 state representative as well as the Senate District 27 senator.
Republicans now control well over 60 percent of all partisan elected offices in the state. Alabama voters, who twenty years ago elected Democrats to represents them in the legislature, as sheriffs, judges and the county commission, are increasingly switching en masse to voting straight Republican tickets.
The Alabama Republican Party has won the last five gubernatorial elections, and the last three were not even competitive.
