Voters have historically not looked fondly on party switchers.

He said that Republican promises to party switchers that more funds will flow to their district programs and services are not convincing.

Notable party switchers of the modern era include:

A list of party switchers (compiled in 2001)

He had been rumored as a party switcher for some time, and many experts believed his district was almost certain to be taken over by a Republican anyway once he retired.

Johnnie Walls, chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, warned that other party switchers in the state had been defeated.

The supply of journalist students that fit the proper ideological background could not meet the demand for professional and competent journalists for the prestigious spots, which explains the large number of party switchers.

"Voters don't trust party switchers," said Terry Michael, a spokesman for the National Democratic Committee.

The Maine House is the fourth state chamber to go Republican because of a party switcher since 1994, following Pennsylvania, South Carolina and, last month, Tennessee.

Neighboring Nassau has about the same population but only one prominent party switcher: Representative Carolyn McCarthy, a Republican who ran as a Democrat to oust an incumbent congressman in 1996.