A South Dakota Democrat has flipped to the GOP, further shrinking an already dwindling minority in the state legislature and underscoring how Democrats’ failed policies continue to alienate voters.
State Rep. Peri Pourier, who is Oglala Lakota, announced Monday: “I have formally changed my voter registration from Democrat to Republican. My name will now appear with an (R) designation.” The switch leaves just five Democrats in South Dakota’s 70-member House, compared to 65 Republicans.
Pourier explained her decision by pointing to the GOP’s commitment to tribal sovereignty: “The core tenets of the Republican Party, decentralized government, self-determination, economic prosperity, lower energy costs, and strong public safety align with the principle of tribal sovereignty.”
She also criticized the legacy of Democratic policy, specifically the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. “What was presented as empowerment ultimately diminished nationhood, reinforced federal control and depilating [sic] any hope of self-sufficiency,” she said, adding that the consequences are still felt today on the Pine Ridge reservation.
Her remarks highlight what conservatives have long argued — that centralized, big-government “solutions” often harm the very communities Democrats claim to protect.
