Changes Party: Kim Davis Joins The GOP

Notorious county clerk Kim Davis changed party affiliations, according to CNN. The woman seemingly at the center of the gay marriage vs. religious freedom conflict, was elected to her post on the Democratic party ticket. She is now a Republican. She’s stated during a recent interview that she’s not the only one in her family to seek out a new party, despite being a life-long Democrat. According to the controversial clerk, her husband and other family members have decided to join the Republican party as well.

“We came to the conclusion that the Democratic Party had left us a long time ago, so why were we hanging on?”

Davis was honored Friday by the Family Research Council, an activist conservative group. They awarded the embattled Rowan county clerk their “Cost of Discipleship Award.” During and after the award ceremony, Davis made no mention of her party changes. She even dodged direct questions about her party affiliation at the event. Davis was famously supported by presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who joined her when she was released from jail. Huckabee, a member of the Republican party, even offered to take her place in jail.

During her acceptance speech, Davis had some words for the entity she claims has inspired her to deny marriage licenses to same sex couples.

“I want to start by thanking my Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ, because without him none of this would have ever been possible.”

The changes of Kim Davis and her family from the Democratic Party to the Republican party illustrate not just her family’s change of heart, but the changes of the Democratic Party, as well. Davis was elected to office just last fall on the Democratic party ticket; she replaced her mother who was also a member of the Democratic party and who held her position for 37 years. In Rowan county, 65 percent of registered voters are members of the Democratic party, NBC News reports.

Most of those party members are of a different mindset than today’s Democrats, though. Much of the population of Kim Davis’ constituency is reflective of the Democratic party of old, before modern changes redefined the party. Most Rowan county Democrats reflect a time when the party was defined by white, conservative values. Because of the more traditional nature of Democrats in her own county and family, Davis’ decision to make some political party changes left few surprised.

Even before Kim Davis decided to make changes to her political party, she was getting a lot of support from the right. Members of the Democratic party largely lambasted her and her stance on same-sex marriage, many of those in the Republican party came out in her defense. Some of her biggest supporters have been Republican presidential candidates.

.@GovMikeHuckabee: "#KimDavis, and people like her, will not go to jail for one minute if I'm President." #VVS15 #ImWithHuck

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) September 25, 2015

Praise God Kim Davis is being released. Outrageous she was jailed 6 days for living according to her Christian faith https://t.co/Ev47wkemvD

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 8, 2015

So, what does all of this mean for the embattled county clerk? Despite her high-level support and recent party change, she’s not out of hot water just yet. The ACLU recently filed a motion in federal court because they believe she is violating the terms of her conditional release from jail, where she was held for six days on contempt of court charges. The ACLU believes that she’s continuing to interfere with same-sex marriage in her county (not doing so was the stipulation of her release). The civil rights organization has asked that her case be reviewed due to unauthorized changes she made to marriage licenses issued since her return to work.

If the court determines that the changes do constitute interference in the same-sex marriage process, she could return to jail despite her decision to make changes to her political party.

[Image Courtesy: Ty Wright/Getty Images]