In a significant move, long-time Kentucky state Senator Robin Webb has switched her allegiance from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party.
See the tweet below!
This switch not only leaves Democrats with just six seats out of 38 in the Kentucky state Senate but also signifies a shift in the political landscape in rural Kentucky.
Long-time Democrat and Kentucky state Senator Robin Webb has decided to leave the Democrat Party and join the Republicans.
Webb, who has represented Grayson in Carter County since 1999 and served as a Democrat state senator since 2009, announced that the party’s recent shifts prompted her decision.
This marks the fourth elected Democrat to abandon the party since President Trump’s victory in November and the eighth since early 2024.
News articles detail Webb’s departure, significantly dwindling the Democrat’s presence in the state Senate.
Webb was the last Democrat representing Eastern Kentucky in the state Senate.
She cited the Democrat Party’s focus on policies detrimental to rural Kentucky and a shift to the left as crucial reasons for her switch, Newsweek reported.
“While it’s cliché, it’s true: I didn’t leave the party—the party left me. The Kentucky Democratic Party has increasingly alienated lifelong rural Democrats like myself by failing to support the issues that matter most to rural Kentuckians,” Webb stated, emphasizing that she’s been considering this change for a couple of years.
Webb, known for sometimes siding with Republicans on conservative issues, now finds herself in alignment with a political party holding a supermajority in the Kentucky Senate.
Her district’s traditional social values are often at odds with the national Democrat agenda, making her new affiliation resonate more with her constituents’ views.
Eastern Kentucky’s strong support for Trump makes Webb’s reelection bid in 2026 likely to succeed.
Predictably, Webb’s decision drew criticism from the Kentucky Democrat Party.
Chair Colmon Elridge remarked, “Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take health care away from over a million Kentuckians, wipe out our rural hospitals, take food off the table of Kentucky families and take resources away from our public schools. If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn’t a Democrat.”
Despite the criticism, Webb remains steadfast in her convictions.
“I will continue to be a fearless advocate for rural Kentucky and for the residents of eastern Kentucky who have been so good to me and my family. I want to thank President Stivers, my colleagues in the General Assembly, and the Republican Party of Kentucky for the warm welcome. I look forward to continuing to focus on sound policy with rural Kentucky’s best interests in mind,” she said, ensuring her continued commitment to her constituents’ interests.
A long-time member of the Kentucky General Assembly said she’s switching political parties. https://t.co/l98FQXZIz7
— FOX 56 News (WDKY) (@FOX56News) May 31, 2025
