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DES MOINES, Iowa  –A longtime Iowa lawmaker says he’s leaving the Republican Party and will vote with Democrats, and he says President Trump is to blame.

State Representative Andy McKean of Anamosa made the surprise announcement in a press conference on Tuesday morning at the State Capitol.  McKean says President Trump is setting a bad example for the country and he can’t support him or his party.  He says the decision was difficult and he knows it will disappoint many.

McKean was first elected to the legislature as a Republican State Senator in 1978.  He left office in 1993 but returned in 2016 after he was elected as a Republican in the Iowa House.

With McKean’s party switch, Republicans now hold a 53 to 47 seat advantage in the Iowa House.  Republicans control the State Senate by a 32 to 18 seat margin.