A Houston-area state Representative is the latest to walk away from the Democratic Party in the Lone Star State.

Four-term Rep. Shawn Thierry (D̶-Houston), joins former Representative and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in switching to the Grand Ol’ Party in the span of a year, both black Democrats and devout Christians.

It’s better late than never for Thierry, who was defeated in the Primary after taking a stand for traditional values counter to her colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus. Thierry was defeated by transgender activist Lauren Ashley Simmons in the primary, who dunked on Thierry as too socially conservative and won by a shocking 30 percentage points. Simmons now faces Republican Lance York in the November general election who is keeping a low profile and is not favored to win. The district was previous held by Sen. Borris Miles and the late Rev. Al Edwards — both of whom have held the predominately black area’s seat multiple times, while Miles faced his share of public and intra-party scrutiny and was able to return to the floor.

“The Democratic Party has veered so far left, so deep into the progressive abyss, that it now champions policies I cannot, in good conscience, support — policies like promoting sex changes for vulnerable children and dismantling Title IX protections for women in sports,” Thierry wrote in a press release today.  “That’s why I am leaving the left and joining the party of family, faith, and freedom. I now stand with colleagues, friends, neighbors, women, and mothers in the Republican Party.”

Thierry’s departure met numerous statements of welcome and derision from both sides of the aisle. Gov. Greg Abbott led the praise, featured prominently in Thierry’s release, saying he looked forward to “continuing to work” with her in the time left of her term. Thierry is vice chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee, as the legislature meets in interim hearings — still plenty of time to influence policy over the next four months.

And from the Democratic side: “If Thierry looks at a party taking away the freedom for women to control their bodies, cutting healthcare for millions, and led by a racist, petty convict and says I want in on that mess, I think that says more about Shawn Thierry than about the Democratic Party. Adios,”  House Democratic Caucus chairman and Rep. Trey Martinez Fisher (D-San Antonio) wrote.

What he’s likely referencing are the much-publicized remarks Thierry delivered on the House floor toward the end of the last Texas legislative session, joining three fellow Democrats in voting with a united GOP bloc to support SB 14. The bill, now law, bans the genital mutilation and chemical manipulation of minors for gender appropriation purposes. The bill ultimately passed 92-48.

Thierry was not alone, joined by fellow Democratic Reps. Harold Dutton, Abel Herrero, and Tracy O. King. However, her statements made her the face of the Democrats who defected on SB 14. She was already in the crosshairs, having stood up for HB 900, the READER Act, which now requires ratings of books in school libraries to keep sexually explicit materials away from minors. Thierry also voted to support the Texas Maternal Mortality Task Force, a priority item of the governor’s.

After losing her re-election bid, Thierry joined the U.S. affiliate of Genspect as the director of political strategy. Genspect, according to its website, is “critical of the gender-affirmative approach and advise health care professionals to take the time and care to evaluate the low-evidence base for the current affirmative approach, looking more closely at the harms that medical treatment paths can cause.”

From the hip: There are subjects before the legislature other than sexuality issues, and to what extent Representatives who have walked away are conservative is, of course, debatable. A Democrat switching to the GOP usually means a +1 for moderate Republicans, and vice-versa (although a prominent Republican defecting to the Democratic side has not happened in quite some time in Texas). For example, Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City), who left the Democrats three years ago and remains a member of the Legislature, is on the left side of the GOP caucus by at least one prominent ranking.

Mayor Johnson was a standard Democratic Caucus vote (and to the left of Guillen) while in the legislature, although a speech before the RNC convention in July seems to indicate some penitence, as well as a preference for strong law enforcement. Thierry, like Johnson a devout Christian, perhaps had enough of their former party’s obsessive jihad over gender and sexuality issues.

Johnson and Thierry will not be casting votes in the legislature anytime soon. Welcoming them to the GOP is politically safe and only boosts confidence among Republican ranks. And one is not technically a Republican in Texas until they have voted in the GOP Primary (or taken an oath of affiliation). But have they switched on taxes, school choice, health care, the border, or any number of issues that separate liberals from conservatives? Time always tells, though it is looking likely Rep. Thierry will be remembered primarily as a martyr for the cause of sanity.