MUNCIE, Ind. — An announcement was made yesterday by the Delaware County Republican Party that Brandon Garrett, a city council-member since 2021, has now changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. The news also comes after former-Democrat Eric Hoffman switched his party-affiliation earlier this year. Hoffman made the decision soon after then-Party Chair for Democrats Ana Quirk was succeeded by Andrew Dale.

Garrett first joined council when he replaced Ray Dudley five years ago, though before then ran against Dudley in the 2019 primary for District 3. In 2023 he won his district against Nick Taulbee by 97 votes.

A relative of his, Ralph Smith Jr, had also switched parties years before. Smith ran against incumbent Mayor Dan Canan in 1999 as a Democrat, however twenty years later ran as a Republican for the District 1 council seat.

Garrett recently supported an ordinance giving Opioid Settlement funds to pay raises for public safety, something that most local Democrats were against. The event was the first time the councilman split from his party in a significant way. Only months before Garrett had supported making amends to Ord. 23-24, joining Democrats to cut three positions from the Mayor’s office (Deputy Mayor, Deputy Controller, and Communications Director) and has also joined his former party on other contentious votes.