On August 21st, 2013 six more Democratic officeholders switched to the Republican Party, bringing the total number of Democratic elected officials who have switched to the Republican Party since the conclusion of the November 2008 elections to 209.

◼ All of the current party switchers, like their predecessors, have come forward after deciding that the Republican Party better represents their communities and their personal values. The fact that so many Democrats have switched parties in just two election cycles is further indication that the Republican Party of Texas is on the upswing and the future looks bright. - Republican Party of Texas h/t: Greg Abbott

◼ ‘LIFELONG’ HOLLYWOOD DEMOCRAT JUMPS SHIP TO JOIN GOP, ENDORSES REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR - The Blaze

Just a few weeks shy of his 50th birthday, movie and TV star Rob Schneider has announced that he is switching his lifelong political affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

But Schneider didn’t just change parties, he also made a ringing endorsement for California Assemblyman Tim Donnelley’s run for Governor of California....

“The state of California is a mess, and the super majority of Democrats is not working. I’ve been a lifelong Democrat and I have to switch over because it no longer serves the people of this great state. The last time I made a movie was seven years ago, and that’s because we’re not being competitive,” he said.

Rob Schneider added to his case for less government by talking about the vitamin company that he owns with a friend, “We moved out of the state because of overregulation. It isn’t helping businesses. We’re chasing businesses away.”

The newly-minted Republican made note of Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s visit that actually pulled businesses out of California and enticed them to come to Texas. Schneider summed up his opening statement by saying, “Another four years of a Democratic administration will be a disaster, as it already has been.”