Popular Texas sheriff is the latest elected official to reject the Democratic Party and become a Republican

An accomplished and popular Texas sheriff has determined that to continue the "strong tradition of excellent law enforcement in Karnes County," he will have to do so as a Republican.

Thrice-elected Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva announced he has switched parties, officially rejecting the Democratic Party and what it has come to stand for.

Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi said in a statement, "I am proud to welcome Sheriff Villanueva to the Republican Party. As Democrats increasingly abandon and cripple law enforcement, it is no wonder more people are turning to the Republican Party."

Texas Scorecard noted that while former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) secured over 75% of the votes cast in the 2020 election in Karnes County, Villanueva still netted approximately 66% of the vote as a Democrat, winning by over 30 points.

Villanueva is popular in no small part due to the fact that he's highly effective.

Having started his law enforcement career in 1993 as a jailer for the Karnes County Sheriff's Office, he went onto become a constable and then Karnes County's sheriff.

Villanueva has a strong track record of arrests, having hunted down and put away high-profile criminals, including a serial arsonist responsible for over 50 fires, an escaped inmate, drug dealers, murderers, burglars, and others.

The sheriff stated in his re-election campaign in 2020 that his office takes a "pro-active" approach to fighting crime, hunting down criminals "instead of waiting for them to commit crimes."

Country before party

Villanueva joins other Texan lawmen and patriots — similarly committed to upholding the law and maintaining order — who have recently crossed the aisle or at the very least denounced the Democratic Party.

Terrell County Judge Dale Carruthers and Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara, both lifelong Democrats and Hispanic, switched parties earlier this year because of the Biden administration's failed border policies, reported the Center Square.

Carruthers noted that she "came from a Hispanic heritage, which was prominently Democrat. The chaos at the border and everything that's been going on makes me realize that I needed to switch parties."

"We are trying to protect the sovereignty of Texas. I am a constitutional judge and we are standing behind the constitution," Carruthers added.

Guevara, who had been a Democrat since 1992, said, "I’ve always ran as a Democrat and this is my first year to run as a Republican. I’m very grateful for Gov. Abbott for all he has done for Texas and continues to do for Texas, especially with our border crisis."

Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez, another lifelong Hispanic Democrat who has been fighting cartel and gang activity for years, has similarly emphasized that "the Democratic Party doesn't represent us."

Ryan Guillen, a pro-life and pro-Second Amendment state representative, announced he was leaving the Democratic Party and running as a Republican in Nov. 15, 2021. He won the general election on Nov. 8, 2022.

Guillen said his "fiscally conservative, pro-business, and pro-life values are no longer in step with the Democrat Party of today."

"Friends, something is happening in South Texas, and many of us are waking up to the fact that the values of those in Washington, D.C., are not our values, not the values of most Texans," said Guillen. "The ideology of defunding the police, of destroying the oil and gas industry, and the chaos at our border is disastrous for those of us who live here in South Texas."

Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) explained to Fox News Digital why Texans, particularly Hispanics, are leaving the Democrat Party: "We're not complicated people here in South Texas. We love America. We want security. We love our family and we love God. It's really that easy, and that's why our values align with the Republican Party."

According to Cruz, Democrats "have become woke, pushing down their cultural radicalism."