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Former Democratic Beaver County sheriff candidate Wayne Kress, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat twice, has become a Republican.

Saying that he has always been a conservative, two-time Democratic Beaver County sheriff candidate Wayne Kress has become a Republican after a falling out with the countys Democratic Party.

So far, Ive been accepted with open arms, Kress, 49, said on Thursday. Im still the same person and the people who know me, who are Democrats, are still behind me.

Republican Sheriff Tony Guy defeated Kress for the seat in 2015 and 2019. Both men are retired state troopers.

Last fall, following his second loss, Kress told The Times that he might reconsider his future as a Democrat.

Kress said he quietly changed his party affiliation about a month or so ago following a disagreement with some unnamed Democratic committee members over a protest for gun rights at the Virginia Capitol on Jan. 20, the day honoring civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A staunch Second Amendment supporter, Kress said he supported the protest and said it was appropriate for the holiday because King believed in free speech and peaceful protesting.

But, Kress said the Democrats he argued with labeled the protesters racists and Nazis, and condemned him for supporting them. Im not going to change my views or values based on what they tell me to be, he said.

Later that same night, Kress said he resigned from the Beaver County Democratic Committees executive board and a few days later changed his registration online.

Kress said the switch was the inevitable result of his conservative views on guns and abortion colliding with county Democratic leaders trying to make the party more progressive.

Beaver County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Terri Mitko did not respond to messages on Thursday.

While he has attended some GOP fundraisers and petition signings, Kress said he does not have his sights set on running for any particular seat as a Republican.

A Center Township resident, Kress lives in the district represented by state Rep. Josh Kail, R-15, Beaver, and the next countywide election will not be until 2023.

I didnt do it for any political gain or political advantage, he said. I just think that in todays world my views are more with Republicans than when I signed up with the Democrats when I was 18.

Originally posted here:
Kress becomes a Republican after 'falling out' with Democratic Party - The Times