Kentucky Senator Robin Webb switches to Republican Party, says Democrats 'no longer feel it represents' her values

State Senator Robin Webb, a long-time lawmaker from Kentucky’s 18th Senate district, has announced she is leaving the Democratic Party to join the Republicans. 

The decision marks a significant political shift in one of the state’s key rural districts.

In a statement, Webb said, "First and foremost, I’m a mother, a rancher and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky’s coal country. As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values."

She added, “While it’s cliché, it’s true: I didn’t leave the party — the party left me.”

Her defection comes as a blow to the Democratic Party in Kentucky, which has historically relied on support from working-class voters in rural and coal-producing areas.

Democratic Party officials were quick to respond. Party Chair Colmon Elridge criticised the move, saying, “Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take health care away from over a million Kentuckians, wipe out our rural hospitals, take food off the table of Kentucky families and take resources away from our public schools. If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn’t a Democrat."

Meanwhile, Republicans welcomed Webb with open arms. Republican state chairman Robert Benvenuti praised her decision, noting her practical approach to lawmaking and deep commitment to her constituents.

The switch could have broader implications as Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat recently re-elected, considers a potential presidential run in 2028. Webb’s departure signals further challenges for the party as it prepares for the 2026 midterm elections.