WATCH: Native American Arizona Senator Makes Waves by Switching to the ‘Party of Progress’

Arizona State Senator Carlyle Begay announced on Monday he was leaving the Democratic Party the “party of progress.” He’s now a Republican.

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Begay, appointed as a Democrat in 2013 and re-elected in 2014, recently cited his colleague’s reaction to his decision to cross party lines to pass the current budget as a “tipping point.”

In a video released on Monday, Begay said it has been the Republicans who have worked with him to “improve education, jobs and infrastructure.”

Begay said families living within the rural and Arizona tribal communities are in a “crisis” with unemployment as high as 80 percent in some instances. The Republican Party, he said, is more equipped to address the issues.

“With an open mind and heart, I clearly see the Republican Party as a party of progress, the party of opportunity, and moving forward, my party,” he added.

Watch the full video of his announcement below:

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