Chafee previously served as a Republican senator, then bolted the GOP to become governor. He's endorsed President Obama twice.

 
WASHINGTON — Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent who used to be a Republican, intends to run for a second term next year -- but as a Democrat.

A Democratic source with knowledge of Chafee's decision confirmed the news to USA TODAY. The source requested anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak ahead of Chafee.

Chafee, elected in 2010, had insisted he would seek a second term despite low job-approval ratings in public opinion polls and hinted he could join the party of President Obama, whom he has endorsed twice.

The governor is expected to announce his new party registration as early as Thursday.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday that "the president welcomes Gov. Chafee to the party."

Chafee previously served as a U.S. senator from 1999 to 2007, but as a Republican who bucked the party on the Iraq War and declined to support President George W. Bush for a second term.
Rhode Island's economy has been hard hit and most of Chafee's time in office has been spent dealing with the state's red ink. The state unemployment rate, which was over 11% when Chafee took office, was at 8.8% in April.

A poll taken by Brown University in February showed Chafee had a 25.5% job-approval rating among Rhode Island voters, compared with 73% who said they disapproved of the way he was running the state.

Chafee is the son of John Chafee, a former U.S. senator and governor who died in 1999, who was synonymous with the Republican politics in Rhode Island. The younger Chafee was appointed to serve out his father's Senate term and won election in his own right in 2000.

Lincoln Chafee bolted the GOP in 2007, after losing re-election to the Senate to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. The following year, Chafee gave Barack Obama the first of his two endorsements.

Last year, Chafee was a featured speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. He touted touted Obama's support for same-sex marriage, the environment and abortion rights, and denounced his former Republican Party for its stance on Iraq and Afghanistan and for federal budgets.

"Lincoln Chafee always marched to the beat of his own drummer," said Jennifer Duffy, a political analyst with the Cook Political Report.

Chafee is likely to face a crowded Democratic primary. Rhode Island Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, both prominent Democrats, have already been looking at next year's governor's race.

Duffy said it's not clear whether Chafee's latest party switch will help him. The newly minted Democrat will have to convince activists in the state and nation to back his campaign, over those of Raimondo and Taveras.

"A Democratic primary with two opponents who will be well-funded is a tougher road," she said. "I've been talking to a lot of Democrats and I don't get the sense that there all in behind Chafee. It's not in their best interest to get involved in a primary like this."