SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Recent studies show the Republican party is losing voters after the riots on Capitol Hill last month. Five people lost their lives and dozens of people were injured including police officers, after attending a rally held by former President Donald Trump.
Voting experts at the University of Florida say thousands of voters are no longer registered with the GOP. They say far more Republicans than Democrats are changing their registration, and it’s happening here in San Diego County too.
The insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6th is something most people thought they’d never witness. Now political research says the fallout from that day shows thousands of registered voters fleeing the Republican Party.
“These Republicans are rejecting Trumpism, a brand that they see continue to lead the party, even after his defeat,” said Laura Fink, a Political Analyst.
In California, the Secretary of State’s office shows over 33,000 voters have left the GOP since the riot at the Capitol. In San Diego County, more than 4,700 Republicans have defected.
“I think this isn’t just a temporary blip. This is an acceleration of the long-term declining fortunes of the Republican Party in California broadly and in San Diego in particular," said Thad Kousser, a UCSD Political Science Professor.
"This was a city that not that long ago, just over a decade ago, had a long string of Republican mayors, very competitive City Council, and a County Board of Supervisors that was all Republican,” Kousser said.
He says now Democrats have a majority, and the change can be seen across the County’s political landscape.
“Not only have you seen voters leaving the Republican Party, but some prominent San Diego Republicans have left the Party,” Kousser said.
Research shows that a large number of defections after this presidential election isn’t typical.
“The majority of voters leaving the Republican Party are anti-Trump. That said, there may be a handful of them that are so pro-Trump, they feel that the Republican Party is not Trump enough,” Fink said.
Both Fink and Kousser say Republican voters will continue to be torn between supporting Donald Trump or moving in a different direction with the Party.
CBS 8 reached out to the Republican Party of San Diego County and no one was available for comment.
