Kim Davis, the county clerk from Kentucky who is at the center of a fight over religious freedom and same-sex marriage, has left the Democratic Party, according to a statement from her attorney, Mathew Staver.
“She said she has been a lifelong Democrat but has received no support from the Democratic Party or leaders,” he writes.
“She has come to the conclusion that the Democratic Party has left her,” the statement continues. “She has decided to switch her voter registration.”
In an interview with Reuters news service, Davis revealed she switched her party affiliation to Republican last week, despite having been a Democrat “all my life.”
Davis says the rest of her family switched parties, too. “They’re all changed, she said, “My husband and I had talked about it for quite a while,” she explained. “We came to the conclusion that the Democratic Party had left us a long time ago, so why were we hanging on?” she said.
Davis did not comment on her political affiliation Friday night when she was honored at the 10th annual Value Voters Summit, in Washington D.C., an annual gathering of social conservatives sponsored by the Family Research Council, an activist conservative group.
The 49-year-old county clerk was the recipient of the group’s “Cost of Discipleship Award.”
Davis was personally invited to the summit by FRC President Tony Perkins who, after meeting her earlier this month, said, “Kim Davis wasn’t looking for this fight, but she is not running from it, either.”
In brief remarks, Davis said “I want to start by thanking my Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ, because without him none of this would have ever been possible” she said.
“For he is my strength that carries me and it is his mercies that follow me every day. And it is his love that endures all things, she continued.
Referencing Bible verses throughout her speech, Davis tearfully thanked the Values Voters Summit for the award and, with her voice rising to a near-shout, concluded, “I am only one, but we are many.”
A federal judge ordered Davis to jail earlier this month over her refusal to issue marriage licenses with her name on them to same-sex couples in her county. Before being ordered to jail, Davis also refused to allow clerks in her office to issue licenses. She cited her biblical opposition to same-sex marriage.
Davis spent six days in jail for contempt of federal court. Since her release, Davis has allowed the licenses to be issued, but only with her name and title removed. Each license also includes a statement saying it is issued “pursuant to a court order.”
The ACLU has filed a motion in federal court claiming Davis’ actions are interfering with the licenses in defiance of a federal order, possibly making them invalid.
