A longtime Democrat lawmaker from Kentucky has defected from the party and is now joining the Republicans. A number of politicians at various governmental levels have been opting to switch sides over the last few years, likely due in part to how negatively their policies have impacted regular Americans.

The latest individual to take this journey is Kentucky state Sen. Robin Webb, who represents the state’s 18th district. In commenting on her decision to flee the Democrats, she said that the party “left me.”

“First and foremost, I’m a mother, a rancher and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky’s coal country,” Webb said as she explained her decision. “As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values.”

“It has become untenable and counterproductive to the best interests of my constituents for me to remain a Democrat,” she said.

Webb began her career in state-level politics with her election to the Kentucky State House after beating GOP opponent Ramona Gee in 1998, according to Fox News.

The senator’s fleeing the party is a massive blow to Kentucky Democrats, who have managed to keep a stranglehold on rural parts of the state due to union workers and the coal industry.

“Like countless other Kentuckians, [Webb] has recognized that the policies and objectives of today’s Democratic Party are simply not what they once were, and do not align with the vast majority of Kentuckians,” Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Robert Benvenuti said in a statement about the senator’s switch.

“I always respected that [Webb] approached issues in a very thoughtful and commonsense manner, and that she never failed to keenly focus on what was best for her constituents,” Benvenuti continued. “It is my pleasure to welcome Sen. Robin Webb to the Republican Party.”

The Kentucky Democratic Party was not pleased with Webb’s switch, putting out a response saying she “isn’t a Democrat.”

“Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take health care away from over a million Kentuckians, wipe out our rural hospitals, take food off the table of Kentucky families and take resources away from our public schools,” Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn’t a Democrat.”

“While it’s cliché, it’s true: I didn’t leave the party — the party left me,” Webb commented.