GOP lawmaker ditches party for independent label

GOP lawmaker ditches party for independent label

By Matt Murphy State House News Service
17 hrs ago

BOSTON – Rep. Susannah Whipps, an Athol Republican who has voted with Democrats on a number of key issues in recent months, has withdrawn from the GOP and will return to Beacon Hill after the summer recess as the Legislature's only independent elected official.

Whipps defeated former Rep. Denise Andrews in 2014 in her second run for the seat against the incumbent Democrat and was re-elected in 2016 as a Republican in an uncontested race for the 2nd Franklin District.

Her withdrawal from the Republican Party will bring the ranks of the GOP in the House down to 34, compared with 123 Democrats and two vacant seats that were held by Democrats.

"Serving as state representative while not affiliating with either major political party will allow me to more effectively utilize the relationships I have developed with the members and leadership on both sides of the aisle, and will allow me to better serve all of the people of my district, without the obligation of towing any particular party line," Whipps said in a statement posted to her website. "I want my party affiliation to reflect my position as an independent voice for the people of my district."

Whipps cited the composition of her district, where two-thirds of voters are unenrolled, as one reason for her party affiliation switch. Twenty-two percent of district voters are registered Democrats and 12 percent are registered Republicans, according to Whipps.

Statewide, 34 percent of registered voters are enrolled as Democrats, less than 11 percent are Republicans and 54 percent are not affiliated with any political party.

Whipps has become something of a swing vote in the heavily Democratic House.

She was the only Republican to vote for a bill this year to prevent the use of inmate labor beyond the borders of Massachusetts, and was also the only member of her former party to oppose Gov. Charlie Baker's budget proposal to reform MassHealth by shifting hundreds of thousands of enrollees off the state and federally subsidized Medicaid program.

"This is a decision that I have spent a great deal of time making. I look forward to having the freedom to support colleagues and candidates regardless of their party affiliation, and I look forward to continuing to work hard for the great people of this district and the Commonwealth," Whipps wrote in her statement.


House Minority Leader Brad Jones said through a spokesman that Whipps informed him of her decision last week, but declined further comment on the loss of one of his caucus members. Whipps also said she would not be commenting on her decision beyond her initial statement, and neither she nor staff returned calls seeking comment Tuesday morning.

"The purpose of this change is to avoid partisan bickering and politics as usual, and accordingly I will not engage in any commentary that suggests blame, reaction to any particular person or incident, or anything other than professional growth and a desire to best align with and serve the people of my district," Whipps wrote.

The 2nd Franklin District includes Athol, Erving, Gill, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick, Wendell and a precint in Belchertown.

Though leadership could choose to reassign her legislative committee duties, Whipps has requested to remain on the Higher Education Committee and the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee. She was also the Republican appointee to the House Ethics Committee, and Jones's office said no decisions have been made yet on potential changes to committee assignments.