Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who rose to national prominence last month over a dispute with the federal government over land that his cattle were grazing on, has officially switched his party affiliation from the Republican party to the Independent American Party.
Bundy and his wife changed parties during an IAP ceremony “held to honor Bundy for what organizers called ‘his courage in standing up for state sovereignty,’” according to the Associated Press. The party is the third-largest political party in Nevada with more than 70,000 registered voters.
Over the course of his standoff with the federal government in April, Bundy’s cause captured the support of many conservative commentators and lawmakers, who pointed to his skirmish with the Bureau of Land Management as an example of government overreach. Bundy then made public comments about race and slavery for which he was roundly condemned.