Georgia GOP Pulls Party Switch From First Black Politician; A Louisiana Connection

Ashley Bell is a County Commissioner in Hall County, Georgia. He’s the seventh former Democrat elected official to switch affiliation to Republican in Georgia since the election.

Bell is also the first African-American to do so. Not just in Georgia; nationwide. He’s now the first known African-American elected official to ever leave the Democrats for the GOP.

“After consulting with family my conscience leads me to determine that the Democratic Party is no longer aligned with my core beliefs,” Bell said.

Bell is interesting for more than just that reason. Turns out he went to LSU for law school.

Bell is a major loss for the Democrats in Georgia. He had impeccable credentials as a rising star.

He was elected the President of the College Democrats of Georgia as well as the College Democrats of America. As the national president of College Democrats, Ashley was a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee and later served as chairman of the Hall County democratic party.

In 2000 Bell was the youngest delegate ever elected to a Democratic National Convention (elected at 18, attending at 19), and in 2004 Bell was a primetime speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

We’re seeing a devastated Democrat Party in Louisiana due to party switches and electoral disaster. It’s not just happening here; it’s all over, and particularly in the South.

We have yet to see a prominent African-American politician flip to the GOP like Bell has. But the time may be coming sooner than anyone imagines.

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