As a New Yorker......its simply a democrat who couldn't move up in the democratic party, and switches to the GOP where there is less competition.
See every single republican that is known in New York (from Rudy, to Bloomberg, to even whats his name who ran for Governor and lost to Cuomo).
That description describes the current Republican (aka RINO) Party. All through the mid to late nineties and early 00's that was the only way a Democrat could stay in office and many in the Republican welcomed them in with wide open arms. Never mind the destruction they would heap upon the GOP as was being predicted by the conservative base, only thing that mattered at the time was that there would be more R's than there were D's on capitol hill.
The blue blood country club 'R' party made its bed and now they are having to lie in it.
New york republican party is a mess.