Three sheriffs from Southwest Virginia have switched their party affiliations from Democrat to Republican. The law enforcement officials did so because of increasingly anti-police rhetoric expressed by Democratic politicians. They also switched allegiances in response to state Democratic lawmakers enacting a series of unpopular police reforms.
The latest prominent law enforcement official in Virginia to become a Republican is Sheriff Chip Shuler of Smyth County. As a Democrat, Shuler was first elected as the county's sheriff in 2015 with around 59 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2019, increasing his vote share to over 60 percent of the vote. He achieved both of these electoral wins in a mostly Republican county, where former President Donald Trump won more than 75 percent of the vote in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
In a news release, Shuler talked about how law enforcement is facing relentless attacks from Democrats both in Richmond (the state capital) and Washington. In a press release, Shuler said:
"My deputies work hard to serve and protect the citizens of Smyth County. As sheriff, it has been difficult to watch my deputies try to move forward during this unprecedented assault on our profession. We (law enforcement) remain an honorable profession and should not be judged by the bad acts of a few. I have always been a conservative throughout my law enforcement career of 38 years."
The chairman of the Smyth County Republican Party, Adam Tolbert, welcomed Shuler to the GOP with open arms.
"I congratulate Sheriff Shuler on taking this bold move to leave the Democratic Party and join the Republican Party," said Tolbert. "We are thrilled to have him as a member of the Republican Party in Smyth County."
Two other sheriffs abandoned the Democrats since last year
In 2020, two sheriffs switched to the Republican Party: Sheriff Brian Hieatt of Tazewell County and Sheriff John McClanahan of Buchanan County.
McClanahan switched parties at the end of Sept. 2020. He said he could no longer associate himself with the national Democratic Party due to the bills its prominent members have introduced at the state and federal level that would "negatively affect" communities as well as his livelihood.
"The Democratic Party is going against everything I stand for, pushing for defunding the police and the taking away of safeguards that have been put in place for us," wrote McClanahan in a statement. "Democratic leaders across the country have been ones that are pushing for bills that negatively affect law enforcement, as well as other values I stand for."
"So, after much thought and consideration, I feel that I must officially resign from the Democratic Party for the sake of my religion, family and occupation."
Hieatt became a Republican in July 2020.
"I feel the Democratic Party's interests, especially on the state and national levels, have continued to rapidly go in the opposite direction of the beliefs that my wife and I share," said Hieatt in front of his supporters. "I'm not saying our locally elected Democratic officials are bad. What has upset me is on the state and national level. I think our locally elected Democrats truly care for our people in Tazewell County, but the ones in the state and national level do not care about our citizens."
"Why are we being easy on criminals, not the victims?" Hieatt added. "Laws need to make it harder on criminals and not on victims."
Anti-police sentiment and bills that will make policing more difficult are reasons for leaving Democrats
After the 2019 election in Virginia, the state Democratic Party gained slim majorities in both the House of Delegates and the Senate. The party used this majority to pass a series of criminal justice and police reform bills. Some of the bills received bipartisan support, including a bill that expanded police training.
But most of the bills were heavily partisan and unpopular because they limited the ability of law enforcement officers in the state to do their duty and protect the public.
Some of the most controversial bills included a ban on no-knock warrants, a bill that limited the number of offenses for which police officers can stop a person while driving and a bill that limited what weapons and equipment police officers could use. There was even a bill that establishes a process by which the state could partially defund a police department if it is found out that that department is engaged in "biased policing." (Related: Nolte: Virginia Dems declare open season on cops, judges, firefighters, prison guards with Senate vote.)
Democratic lawmakers even attempted to end qualified immunity. Under current Virginia law, an officer is protected against lawsuits unless the plaintiff can prove that the officer violated a clearly established right that any person in the state would be aware of. The proposed change to the bill would lower the standard of proof, opening police officers up to more potential lawsuits.
The bill passed in the House, but was defeated in the Senate with the help of some moderate Democrats. But it still remains a piece of priority legislation for the state party.
"It's not surprising in the slightest that these law enforcement professionals would change parties," said House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert. "Virginia Democrats have made it clear that they stand with criminals, not law enforcement and victims. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to defeat that agenda while still promising to serve and protect local residents."
Learn more about efforts by federal and state Democrats to disempower police departments by reading the latest articles at PoliceViolence.news.
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