In name only.
Was a lifelong Democrat up until he decided too run for mayor.
But because the democrats already had their choice for mayor, a more well known, longtime politician, he ran on the republican ticket, promising the republican party he would use some of his wealth to help fund other republican candidates if they let him run on their ticket.
Years later while he was still in office, he officially switched his political party registration from Republican to independent.
That switch from Republican to independent was made so at the time he could run for a third term instead of term limiting out.
City council later extended term limit for mayor and council members to three terms.