Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ.), a frequent critic of President Trump’s, is endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden along with several other former Republican lawmakers.
The Biden campaign announced the endorsements this morning.
“I don’t know anyone who thinks that Trump is the future of the party,” said Flake. “This is a demographic cul-de-sac we’re in, if nothing else. Anger and resentment only go so far; you have to have a governing philosophy. I don’t know of any of my colleagues who really believe this is it.”
The list includes other former members of Congress who had previously announced their support for Biden, including former Sens. John Warner (R-Va.) and Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.), who is now an independent, and Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.).
Other former lawmakers on the list include former Reps. Steve Bartlett (R-Texas), Tom Coleman (R-Mo.), Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), Chris Shays (R-Conn.), Alan Steelman (R-Texas) and Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.).
“These former members of Congress cited Trump’s corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant disregard for moral decency, and urgent need to get the country back on course as a reason why they support Biden,” an official with the Biden campaign told Fox News. “These former Members of Congress are supporting Joe Biden because they know what’s at stake in this election and that Trump’s failures as President have superseded partisanship.”
Flake, who retired in 2019, previously said in April that he would not vote for Trump’s reelection.
At the time he suggested he would not support Biden either, saying “This won’t be the first time I’ve voted for a Democrat — though not for president. Last time I voted for a third-party candidate. But I will not vote for Donald Trump.”
The announcement comes after several Republicans, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Rep. Susan Molinari (N.Y.) and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, spoke at the Democratic National Convention last week.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and onetime Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina has also announced her backing of Biden.