Nothing says "I'm joining the Democrats" quite like being pro-life and celebrating the overturn of Roe v. Wade, but here we are in 2025 where literally nothing makes sense anymore.
Oregon State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, a dentist from Tillamook who got elected as a Republican, has officially jumped ship and declared himself a Democrat. As The American Tribune reported, the lawmaker representing Oregon's 32nd House District announced his party swap via Substack, because apparently that's how we do major political announcements now.
Javadi accused his former Republican colleagues of caring more about "burning things down" than actually doing the whole governing thing they were elected to do. He characterized the GOP's marching orders as essentially "just vote no, or else," which honestly sounds like the world's worst motivational poster.
So what pushed this guy over the edge? During the latest legislative session, Javadi supported a resolution honoring black drag performers and became the lone Republican backing legislation that targeted what supporters called discriminatory book bans. Governor Tina Kotek signed that bill into law. These votes made him about as popular with Oregon Republicans as a vegan at a barbecue competition.
His former supporters got so fired up they launched a recall effort against him. Javadi also wrote that someone smashed a window at his dental office after he returned to work, though no suspect was identified and no motive was established. He pointed to all this hostility as proof that staying Republican was no longer an option.
Here's where it gets absolutely hilarious though. This newly minted Democrat has an anti-abortion record that would make most Oregon Democrats choke on their kombucha. The guy literally celebrated the Supreme Court's 2022 decision gutting Roe v. Wade. In 2024, he sponsored a bill that would have banned abortions after 15 weeks. That bill failed, but the effort alone is enough to give Portland progressives heart palpitations.
He also previously sided with Republicans to recriminalize drug possession after Oregon's decriminalization experiment went sideways so hard it practically needed a chiropractor. Roughly 2,600 people were arrested solely for drug possession in the year after penalties were reinstated.
Javadi defended his library bill vote by referencing his gay son, arguing kids should have access to books featuring people with similar sexualities. He insisted his core beliefs haven't magically transformed overnight, saying he's "the same person" he has always been.
One Democratic voter told the Oregon Capital Chronicle that while she'd grown to trust Javadi more, she would only consider supporting him if he reversed his abortion stance. So basically, welcome to the party, but also please change everything about yourself.
With his defection, Democrats now control 37 of 60 seats in the Oregon House. Javadi plans to seek reelection under his shiny new party label, which should make for the most awkward campaign trail conversations in Oregon political history.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
