Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has joined the Democratic Party, Politico reports:
Chafee quietly informed President Barack Obama of his intention to affiliate as a Democrat after reaching that decision in private, Chafee spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger said. The governor's office confirmed Chafee's plans after POLITICO reported that the governor had notified national Democrats that he'd be joining the party.
A former Republican who served with Obama in the Senate, Chafee has struggled with perilously low job approval ratings and faces a difficult reelection fight in 2014.