Republican legislator credits gay son and drag queens as he switches sides to Democrat

Oregon state representative Cyrus Javadi has announced that he’s leaving the Republican Party to run for re-election as a Democrat, with his gay son and his support for drag queens being among the reasons.

In a lengthy Substack posted on 5 September, titled “Had Enough? I Have.”, Javadi announced that he was switching parties and listed the multiple reasons why. 

“Let’s not bury the lede: I’m switching parties. I’ll be running for re-election as a Democrat…What’s changed isn’t me. It’s the party I once called home,” he began. 

He went on to explain that his own party had opposed “nearly ever single” priority for Oregon’s North Coast. 

“Protecting Medicaid benefits for the nearly 60 per cent of children in Tillamook and Clatsop counties? Opposed. Keeping rural hospitals afloat? Opposed. Preserving students’ access to books that reflect who they are? Opposed. Protecting the First Amendment rights of people different from ourselves? Opposed.” 

Javadi added: “Not because the policies were flawed. But because helping me deliver for my district didn’t fit the Republican Party’s agenda.”

‘It’s about burning things down’

He went on to call out the Republican Party for sending the message: “We don’t care what the problem is, just vote no, or else.”

He did, however, highlight that most Republicans he knows “want good things”, but added that the party has become about “spectacle”. 

“It’s not about governing. It’s about burning things down. It’s about isolating minority communities when politically convenient. It’s about waving the Constitution when it helps your argument and ignoring it when it doesn’t,” he continued. 

Included in his rant against the party was several bills that intended to improve the state, from healthcare to infrastructure and book access. He said of a so-called book bill: “The real issue was whether kids—gay kids like my son, Black kids, Muslim kids—could still find stories on the shelves that reflect their lives.

“I voted yes. Democrats voted yes. Republicans voted no.” 

He went on to mention that “a few disgruntled Republicans” filed a recall petition in his district due to his votes that didn’t align with Republicans. “What they wanted was obedience… That’s not me. I didn’t sign up to be a party soldier.”

The recall filing called out Javadi’s vote in favour of the anti-book ban bill, which was referred to as voting in “favour of keeping porn in schools”, and a resolution honouring Black drag queens, which the petition added means he “does not reflect conservative moral order or values”.

Javadi is running as a Democrat ‘to get things done’

He said his switch to the Democratic Party, which came after “long talks with my family, trusted advisors, and many of you”, is “Not because Democrats are perfect, they’re not. But they’re acting like a governing party. They’re willing to debate ideas on the merits. To defend constitutional principles. To protect minority rights. To do the unglamorous, often thankless work of actually fixing things.” 

He added that he doesn’t care what party he belongs to only that it fights for the rights of residents in the Oregon and the North Coast. 

Javadi concluded: “Had enough? I have. That’s why I’m running for re-election as a Democrat. To get things done, stop the games, and cut through the partisan BS.” 

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