Erie County Legislator Kevin Hardwick has never been shy about reaching across the aisle. 

Now he's going to the other side and staying there. 

The City of Tonawanda lawmaker is leaving the Republican minority conference to team up with Democrats.

"I need to belong to a caucus where compromise is not equated with selling out," Hardwick said. "I need to belong to a caucus where it's okay to talk to members of the other party without being accused of treason."

Hardwick was first elected to the legislature in District 4 in 2009, representing Tonawanda and Grand Island. The Canisius College political science professor has often frustrated fellow Republicans by voting with the Democrats.

That's exactly what happened when he voted to approve the Democrat-supported county budget after a conversation with County Executive Mark Poloncarz, instead of a tax cut under the minority plan.

The decision, and his overall approach, didn't sit well with the county's Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy or the minority leader in the legislature, Joseph Lorigo.

"Kevin Hardwick and Mark Poloncarz, by putting that deal together, cheated taxpayers here in Erie County, the people that pay the bills," Langworthy said.

Lorigo isn't surprised by the move, and looks forward to a caucus without Hardwick in it. 

"He would give us one story or one position leading up to a vote and then he would go the opposite way and often times it was on key issues," Lorigo said.

Hardwick's move will give the Dems a 7-4 advantage in the legislature, although Democrat Thomas Loughran often sides with the minority.  Still, the switch could make it easier for Democrats to advance their agenda.

Lorigo said he's working on forming what he calls a "good government" caucus, which could effectively even out the loss of Hardwick to the Democrats.

"It would be Republicans, myself a Conservative, an Independence party member, and Tom Loughran a Democrat," Lorigo said.

Hardwick is up for re-election next year and says he's leaning toward registering as a Democrat, paving the way for Langworthy and the Republicans to pick a new candidate.

"I've got a target on my back now, a target I didn't have a few weeks ago. They're going to be coming after me. It's up to them to make an example of me," Hardwick said.