Rice was a
Democrat until 1982 when she changed her political affiliation to
Republican after growing averse to former President
Jimmy Carter's foreign policy.
[9] She also cited influence from her father, John Wesley, in this decision, who himself switched from Democrat to Republican after being denied voting registration by the Democratic registrar. In her words to the 2000 Republican National Convention, "My father joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did."
[