Furious GOP lawmaker flips party allegiance after House primary loss

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Mitch McConnell's position.

State Rep. C. Wesley Morgan, who lost to a primary challenger on Tuesday night, says his defeat was orchestrated by Republican leaders in the state.

So now, he's flipping parties.

In a fiery Facebook post, Morgan said he will support the Democratic candidate for his House seat in District 81, rather than his Republican opponent, and that he will be a thorn in the side to Republicans who support "corrupt individuals."

"Tonight the GOP lost a true conservative and patriot," he wrote. "I will no longer be associated with the Republican Party."

He also said on Wednesday that he was considering changing his party registration: "At least I know what they represent is truly what they believe in," he told Courier Journal.

Morgan was part of a wave of Republican victories over Democratic incumbents in 2016 that gave the party a majority in the state House of Representatives for the first time in nearly a century.

During his brief time in the House, Morgan was accused of trying to pass legislation that would have benefited his liquor store business. He also made headlines for alleging in January that members of the Republican leadership conspired to cover up sexual harassment claims.

Background: Lawmaker claims House leadership covered up other sexual harassment claims

To Morgan, it's rebellious acts like the latter that turned his own party against him.

"I wasn't a 'go along to get along.' I can assure you right now that if I had went along with leadership and what they wanted, I would have never had an opponent in the primary and would've had their blessing," he said. "I'm not made like that. I'm not someone's gopher. I'm a free-thinker."

His Facebook post specifically called out U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Jeff Hoover, the former state House speaker and current representative; and Jonathan Shell, House Republican leader who also lost his primary race on Tuesday.

All three need to be weeded out or risk dooming the party, he said.

More on Morgan: Judge dismisses charge against GOP lawmaker who owns liquor stores

He elaborated on those sentiments by phone on Wednesday, saying that all three are too concerned with personal power and not concerned enough with benefiting their constituents.

McConnell, Hoover and Shell did not immediately respond to a Courier Journal request for comment.

"What I have observed, since I became involved in politics, is that Republicans do just fine by criticizing when someone else is in power ... but when they get in power, they cannot govern," Morgan said. "And the reason they can't govern is because they're consumed with self power."

With about 57 percent of the vote, Deanna L. Frazier beat Morgan by 353 votes, according to the Secretary of State. Frazier made him one of four House incumbents to lose their primary. The others are Republican Reps. Tim Couch and Shell, and Democratic Rep. Dennis Horlander.

Darcy Costello: 502-582-4834; dcostello@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @dctello. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/darcyc.