KPBS Midday Edition

Nearly 5,000 San Diegans Left The Republican Party In January

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Pat Finn / Producer

Published February 15, 2021 at 12:38 PM PST

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

A voter casts her ballot during early voting at the San Diego County Of Registrars Office on Oct. 7, 2020.

Nearly 5,000 registered Republicans in San Diego County left the party last month. Some re-registered as Democrats, some as members of the American Independent Party and some stated no party preference. But why? Was it a reaction to the Capitol siege or something else?

Information from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters reveals that 4,700 registered Republicans changed their party affiliation in January of this year.

Of the nearly 5,000 Republican defectors, 1,941 chose NPP, or no party preference; 1,122 became registered Democrats; and 1,255 signed up with the American Independent Party.

Was the larger-than-usual decline in Republican registrations due to long-term trends? Donald Trump's behavior? The siege of the U.S. Capitol on January 6? It's hard to tell.

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Journalist Ken Stone of Times of San Diego talked with Midday Edition about this post-election phenomenon. He noted that Tom Shepard, a well-known former political consultant for local Republican candidates, described the number as a "significant number for one post-election month," although, Shepard said, numbers of registered Republicans in the state and county have been declining for some time.

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KPBS Midday Edition Politics, Democracy and Elections News

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Pat Finn

Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

See stories by Pat Finn