After his request that more Hispanics be nominated to the New Mexico Legislature was denied, Octavio Lorrenzo undertook this action in 1911. Galusha Grow did this after the Ka
After his request that more Hispanics be nominated to the New Mexico Legislature was denied, Octavio Lorrenzo undertook this action in 1911. Galusha Grow did this after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, while the father of Condoleezza Rice did this in Alabama after being denied the ability to vote. More recently, eight members of the Georgia State Assembly did this in 2010, though former Senator Zell Miller has notably not done this act.  One major figure did this partially due partially to the influence of GE exec Lemuel Boulware soon after his General Electric Theater television show was cancelled, claiming that he "didn't leave the party; the party left me." Wendell Wilkie did this shortly before the 1940 presidential election and other notable figures to do this action include Strom Thurmond in 1964. FTP, identify this act of leaving a one American political party and joining another one. 
After his request that more Hispanics be nominated to the New Mexico Legislature was denied, Octavio Lorrenzo undertook this action in 1911.
"switching to the Republican party" (Accept clear equivalents; prompt on "party-switching" or equivalents) 