Political parties.?

Question

Can a person change parties during the middle of a term as a politician and if so what would be the outcomes?

Answer 1

Jim Jeffords went from Republican to Independent in 2001, shifting the majority of the Senate back to the Democrats and drawing the wrath of perhaps millions of conservatives.

Getting reelected after doing something like this is probably tricky. Jeffords retired rather than seek reelection.

As far as outcomes, the person who switches is usually offered some key chairmanship positions by the opposition party.

Answer 2

It
In the United States' political landscape, dominated by its two-party system, switches generally occur between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, although a number of notable switches to and from third parties (and even between different third parties) have occurred. One notable "switch" took place in 2000 when Senator Jim Jeffords defected from the Republican Party to become a political independent, which placed the Senate in Democratic control. Use of the term party switch often connotes a transfer of held power from one party to another. The majority of party-switchers in the modern era have switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. This behavior has occurred mostly in the South, due to the gains of the Republican Party since 1950 and has proven somewhat beneficial to the Democrats as the final result was increasing the ideological coherence of the party as Southern conservative Democrats left the party.

Answer 3

They can, and it happens relatively frequently. If it occurred now, in the Senate, say, the Republicans could regain control.

Answer 4

It has happened before. He might completely lose if he runs again.