South Dakota state Democratic lawmaker switches party affiliation to Republican

A formerly Democratic state lawmaker in South Dakota on Monday announced she has officially changed her party affiliation to Republican, claiming that core GOP tenets better lined up with tribal sovereignty. 

State Rep. Peri Pourier, who is Oglala Lakota, said change was imperative in the current political landscape and that she believes the Republican Party's priorities better align with her views. 

The move means that there are just five Democratic lawmakers left in the state House, compared to 65 Republicans. 

"I represent communities where hardship is not theoretical, it is lived daily, passed down through generations," Pourier wrote in a post on Facebook. "Our elders and our children endure conditions that defy the promises of the Constitution. Basic rights and protections that many Americans take for granted remain out of reach in Indian Country. 

"Addiction, violence, and unresolved tragedies persist," she continued. "Families grieve the loss of children to suicide, homicide, and disappearance. Public safety and the rule of law, the foundations of a functioning society, are breaking down, and with them, any pathway toward sustainable prosperity."

The state lawmaker said that she believes the Republican Party is the best way forward, because its core beliefs align with tribal sovereignty, while Democrats have undermined it, even if unintentionally. 

"Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 forced a one-size-fits-all model of governance that disregarded traditional systems and tied federal funding to this imposed framework," she wrote. "What was presented as empowerment ultimately diminished nationhood, reinforced federal control and depilating any hope of self-sufficiency. The long-term consequences of such federal policy failures are still felt on the Pine Ridge Reservation today.

"This is not about partisan loyalty. It is about loyalty to the people," she continued. "My decision reflects a strategic recalibration, one that strengthens my ability to advocate for our communities and deliver meaningful results. I will not explain away poverty and violence with rhetoric. I remain committed to confronting these issues directly."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.