Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi is leaving the Republican Party and running for reelection as a Democrat, citing his gay son and Republican book-banning efforts as some of many reasons he is finished with the party he “once called home.”

In a lengthy post on Substack, Javadi expressed frustration that his own party opposed his plans for his district at every turn.

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“Protecting Medicaid benefits for the nearly 60% of children in Tillamook and Clatsop counties? Opposed. Keeping rural hospitals afloat? Opposed. Preserving students’ access to books that reflect who they are? Opposed. Protecting the First Amendment rights of people different from ourselves? Opposed.”

“Not because the policies were flawed. But because helping me deliver for my district didn’t fit the Republican Party’s agenda.”

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He slammed the GOP for being the party of no, emphasizing that he ran for office to solve problems and make people’s lives better.

“For months now, the Republican Party’s message has been simple: we don’t care what the problem is, just vote no, or else.”

He said that good policy isn’t about which party created it, but rather which one solves the problem best.

He also acknowledged that for the most part, everyday Republicans still want good things, but that the party apparatus has become “about burning things down.”

“It’s about isolating minority communities when politically convenient. It’s about waving the Constitution when it helps your argument and ignoring it when it doesn’t. That’s not conservative. That’s opportunistic. And it corrodes everything it touches.”

He brought up several bills to improve the state, from healthcare to infrastructure to book access, that Democrats supported and Republicans united to oppose, often for reasons that had nothing to do with the content of the legislation.

In June, Javadi was the only Republican to vote in favor of a bill to prevent anti-LGBTQ+ book bans in schools. At the time, he expressed how reading helped his own gay son understand his identity. “Let’s not teach our kids that their stories are too controversial to belong on the shelf,” Javadi said.

In his Substack post, Javadi acknowledged how “a few disgruntled Republicans” filed a recall petition in his district due to his constant breaks with Republicans, “Not because I wasn’t working for the district. But because I wasn’t working for the party.”

“What they wanted was obedience… That’s not me. I didn’t sign up to be a party soldier.”

The recall filing called out Javadi’s vote in favor of the anti-book ban bill and said it’s clear he “does not reflect conservative moral order or values” after he voted in favor of a resolution honoring Black drag queens.

Democrats, he emphasized, also have their flaws, but right now, “they’re acting like a governing party.”

“They’re willing to debate ideas on the merits. To defend constitutional principles. To protect minority rights. To do the unglamorous, often thankless work of actually fixing things.”

He praised his Democratic colleagues who worked with him on his priorities during the past legislative session “even though I wore the other team’s jersey.”

“It didn’t matter to them. What mattered was whether the policy worked. Meanwhile, Republicans fought against those priorities, against the basic needs of our district. And somewhere along the way, it became clear this wasn’t just a bad season or a passing fever. The Republican Party had chosen a different direction, a different set of values.”

He emphasized that he will continue to represent everyone in his district, regardless of party, because “I’m an Oregonian, and so are you.”

“And my values haven’t changed,” he said. “I still believe in limited government, free speech, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and the rule of law. I still believe your rights don’t come from the state but from something higher. But I also believe government has to work, not just posture.”

He concluded by declaring he has “had enough of politics as performance art” and “enough of games designed to win elections instead of solve problems.”

He’s had enough, he said, “of leaders who’d rather go viral than fix the roads.”

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