After a federal court's redistricting plan for Georgia was approved, five Republicans switched and ran as Democrats, with four winning re-election. Since the election, three other Democrats have switched to the GOP.

In South Carolina, four Democrats have bolted from their party since September 2003: Sens. Billy O'Dell of Ware Shoals and Luke Rankin of Myrtle Beach and Reps. George Bailey of St. George and Bubber Snow of Hemingway.

Democrats, who promised to defeat them, managed only to keep Snow from returning. It wasn't all bad news, though. In the end, Democrats came out of the elections with one more seat each in the House and Senate.

The elections earlier this month left Republicans holding majorities of 26-20 in the Senate and 74-50 in the House.

Observers say party-switching at the Statehouse may have run its course. "In terms of the Legislature, that's probably so," House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Columbia, said.

"I don't think you'll see large numbers of switchers," House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, said.

Senate Majority Leader Hugh Leatherman, a Florence Republican who switched parties a decade ago, said he's not aware of anyone in the Senate considering a switch.

Still, "the welcome mat is always out," House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, said.

It has been for more than 30 years.

"South Carolina was kind of the leading edge of party-switching with Strom Thurmond leading the way," Winthrop University political science professor Scott Huffmon said.

Thurmond, the longest serving U.S. senator, bolted from the Democratic Party in 1964, two years after U.S. Rep. Floyd Spence.

They laid the groundwork for a GOP that grew strong enough to elect two governors and, with the help of two party switchers, take control of the House in 1994.

Elections that year left Republicans and Democrats with 60 seats each with independents holding four seats. Five days after the election, two Democrats switched.

The 2000 elections left the Senate split 23-23. Sen. Verne Smith of Greer switched, giving Republicans control of the upper chamber and the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.

The switching hasn't all been one way. Two Republicans switched to the Democratic Party in 2000. One lost and the other didn't seek re-election after his district was redrawn to pit him against another Democrat.

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