EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — A longtime El Cajon city councilman announced he is leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat, citing the party's increasingly extreme positions and recent federal immigration enforcement actions.
Gary Kendrick, who has served on the El Cajon City Council for 24 years, made the announcement outside City Hall on Monday. He is the longest-serving Republican in municipal office in San Diego County.
"The Republican Party was getting more and more extreme," Kendrick said.
Kendrick said the breaking point came after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. He also cited the city council's vote last February to allow local police to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a tipping point in his decision.
"The party has changed. It's not recognizable as the party that I joined 50 years ago," Kendrick said.
The councilman showed his paperwork to change his voter registration on Monday and said his decision reflects his personal values.
"I like kindness a lot better than hatred, and I don't believe we should be pursuing people that don't look like us," Kendrick said.
Kendrick was elected with 85% of the vote and is up for re-election. He said voters should know what they're getting if he's elected again, regardless of his party change.
"They know who I am. I haven't changed except I've finally come out after all these years to say enough is enough," Kendrick said.
The Republican Party of San Diego has not publicly commented about Kendrick's party change.
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