“While it’s cliché, it’s true: I didn’t leave the party — the party left me,” Webb said in a release from the Republican Party of Kentucky. “The Kentucky Democratic Party has increasingly alienated lifelong rural Democrats like myself by failing to support the issues that matter most to rural Kentuckians.”

She continued, “First and foremost, I’m a mother, a rancher, and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky’s coal country. As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt the 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.”

Webb served as a Kentucky House representative for the state’s 96th District from 1999 to 2009 before becoming a state senator for the 18th District in 2009. She was the only state senate Democrat to represent a district that voted for President Donald Trump. State Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty is now the only Democrat representing any part of eastern Kentucky.

“Those who know me best understand that my positions and the policies I champion haven’t changed. The only difference today is the letter next to my name,” she said. “I will continue to be a fearless advocate for rural Kentucky and for the residents of eastern Kentucky who have been so good to me and my family. I want to thank President Stivers, my colleagues in the General Assembly, and the Republican Party of Kentucky for the warm welcome. I look forward to continuing to focus on sound policy with rural Kentucky’s best interests in mind.”

Her former party blasted her.

“Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take healthcare 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. If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn’t a Democrat,” Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge said in a statement.

Kentucky Republicans gave Webb a much warmer reception, welcoming her to the party.

“I had the privilege of getting to know Sen. Webb when I served as a state representative. I always respected that she approached issues in a very thoughtful and commonsense manner, and that she never failed to keenly focus on what was best for her constituents. It is my pleasure to welcome Sen. Robin Webb to the Republican Party,” Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Robert Benvenuti said.

Republican state Senate President Robert Stivers said Webb’s “record speaks for itself.”

“Whether it’s her advocacy for Kentucky coal and our energy independence, her support for responsible budgeting, or her commitment to rural infrastructure, workforce development, and judicial matters, she has long worked alongside Republican colleagues to advance the interests of eastern Kentucky,” he said.

With Webb’s party switch, the number of Republicans in the Kentucky state Senate grew from 31 to 32, giving the GOP a 26-seat advantage over Democrats.

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Webb is the third Democratic state senator to switch to the Republican Party since 2024. Former Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell switched to the GOP in April 2024, and California state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil joined the party in August 2024.

Webb is at least the second state senator this year to change their party affiliation. Democratic Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo became an independent in April after resigning as Senate minority leader, and is running for Florida governor in 2026.