The Deseret News recently noted a trend that we overlooked in our post about the close of legislative candidate filing: part of the Democrats’ success fielding candidates was driven by Republicans (including some local office-holders) fleeing the GOP:

Linnea Barney, a two-term member of the State Board of Education and lifelong Republican, is running for the Utah Senate as a Democrat this year.

Barney said she turned to the Democrats when she attempted to get involved in local politics and found her moderate views weren't welcome in the conservative climate of the Utah County Republican Party.

"It wasn't long before I realized that the moderate, mainstream resident of Utah County didn't have a voice in the state Legislature," she said. "When the Democrats called me they convinced me that if they could field high-quality candidates, then they could make a difference in this county."

"Just because I call myself a Democrat, I haven't changed any of my family values," she said.

There are many more Democratic candidates for legislature and county offices this year who were Republicans a short time ago – and it’s no surprise why. Utah’s unique nominating system makes it nearly impossible for moderates and even some strong conservatives to be nominated as Republicans.

The fact of the matter is, true people of faith should be offended by the Utah lawmaker who called gay citizens “the greatest threat to America;” it’s OK for fiscal conservatives to think one lawmaker’s proposal to abolish the 12th grade is a terrible idea; and someone who’s pro-business and anti-regulation can still think it’s foolish for the state legislature to declare climate change a hoax.

But that kind of extremism is now practically a requirement to win a Republican nominating contest. So to all the moderates and conservatives out there who just want a party where mainstream ideas aren’t ridiculed -- welcome.

Moderate Republican State Rep. Jim Campbell has finally had it with the Maine Republican Party, led by the state’s two U.S. Senators, which has spent the better part of a year working to obstruct meaningful health care reform:

This move has been a long time coming for me. I have been very frustrated with the Republican Party in Maine, and nationally, for their failure to address the health care crisis in a meaningful way. Nobody has all the answers, but the Republican Party has none when it comes to health care reform.

This move is about the working people and our seniors who need action. I became a Republican because I believed the party stood for something. I hope to send a message to the Republican Party — and the Democratic Party — that enough is enough; it is time to stop blocking progress in the hope of partisan gain.

Rep. Campbell’s switch leaves the Maine House of Representatives with 95 Democrats, 55 Republicans and Campbell as the lone independent.

New York Republicans’ downward spiral in the state legislature continued late last week as one of their last Long Island Assemblymembers switched parties to join the Independence Party:

Longtime Republican Assemb. Fred Thiele is switching parties to join the Independence Party, saying the 40-member GOP minority "stands for nothing" and "no longer speaks to pocketbook issues."

The 14-year Albany veteran said he hand-delivered papers to switch at the Suffolk Board of Elections Thursday and will seek to sit with the Assembly's Democratic majority[.]

Thiele, 56, of Sag Harbor, would join the Assembly's only other Independence Party member, Timothy Gordon from Albany, who has run with Democratic backing. If the Democrats accept Thiele, he will become the 110th member of the majority conference.

Thiele, who represents the Suffolk County-based 2nd Assembly district, specifically cited his Republican colleagues’ refusal to offer any amendments when the legislature was writing the state budget. Thiele believes they refused to participate out of fear that Democrats might actually accept some of the Republican amendments, making it harder to run against the budget in November.

The switch leaves the State Assembly with 107 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and three independents caucusing with the Democrats (two from the Independence Party and one from the Working Families Party).

North Carolina State Rep. Cary Allred, a Republican legislator from Alamance County, has resigned following an incident in which he allegedly groped a 17-year-old page on the House floor. When describing his reasons for leaving, Allred explained:

“I’m going to take a vacation.”

Other Republicans reported that Allred smelled of alcohol the day of the incident, and the police had pulled him over earlier for driving 102 mph. A preliminary report on the events recently prompted the North Carolina Republican chairwoman to call for Allred’s resignation.

Since the incident, Allred told the state GOP chairwoman she could “go to hell;” announced he was becoming an independent; changed his mind and decided to continue as a Republican (to his caucus’ frustration, one would hope); and announced his “retirement” sometime in September.

Now, with rumors swirling about some “other matter” under investigation by state ethics watchdogs, Allred finally did the right thing by announcing his resignation, effective today. When asked what those latest rumors might refer to, Allred simply said “I don’t know. There’s a lot of complaints” –- a fact which surprised no one.

Allred’s replacement will be chosen by the Alamance County Republican Party, in accordance with state law. There will be no special election.

One of the New Hampshire Republican Party’s most respected elder statesmen has announced he is becoming a Democrat. Jim MacKay, who spent nearly a decade as a Republican city councilor, mayor, and state representative for the city of Concord, explained his decision in a statement announcing his candidacy for an upcoming State House special election:

"Over the past several years, the New Hampshire Republican Party has continually moved farther to the right, and no longer represents my core beliefs. As someone who served as a Republican legislator, I am disappointed by the marginalization of moderate voices in the party. That is why today I am formally leaving the New Hampshire Republican Party to seek the Democratic nomination for state representative in the upcoming special election in Concord," said Jim MacKay. "I spent my career fighting for working families and to protect the state's most vulnerable citizens and I will continue to do so if I'm elected in the special election." (H/T Blue Hampshire)

New Hampshire Democrats, who have long held MacKay in high regard for his pragmatism and bipartisanship as a State Legislator, were excited by the news, with state party Chair Ray Buckley praising MacKay for his principled decision:

"We welcome Jim Mackay to the New Hampshire Democratic Party with open arms. He has a record of fighting for the best interests of working families and will be a strong voice in the legislature. Jim's willingness to set politics aside for the betterment of our state is honorable.

"His departure is just another example of how out of touch John Sununu and the Republican Party are with the people of New Hampshire. The GOP's desire to put the politics of divisiveness before the people of our state is why they continue to lose the support of voters and leaders in their own party."

MacKay makes his Democratic political debut in the special election to replace State Rep. Tara Reardon, who resigned to become New Hampshire’s Commissioner of Employment Security. An election schedule has not yet been set.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate aren't the only lawmakers making room for a new colleague this week.

The Arkansas House of Representatives is also gaining a new Democrat.

The Associate Press reports:

Arkansas state Rep. Richard Carroll said Wednesday he plans to switch when the Democrat-controlled Arkansas Legislature adjourns Friday.

Rep. Carroll is currently the country's highest-ranking elected official from the Green Party.