Republicans backing Democrats over MAGA candidates
by Cami Mondeaux, Breaking News Reporter |
October 01, 2022 06:30 AM
Despite not appearing on the November ballot, former President Donald Trump has played a major role in the midterm elections by endorsing a slew of Republican candidates.
But a number of high-profile Republicans in battleground states have placed their support behind the Democratic candidates opposing some of those Trump-endorsed nominees. It’s not clear what effect, if any, the conflicting endorsements will have, but it does show how the Republican Party has fractured, to some extent, over whether to continue embracing the former president.
Here’s a list of Republicans who have backed Democrats over their party’s candidate:
Arizona
State Rep. Joel John (R) turned heads in Arizona after the Republican lawmaker endorsed Democratic candidate Adrian Fontes over Trump-backed state Rep. Mark Finchem (R) in the race for secretary of state.
“Our nation’s history is full of heroes who bravely stood up to do what was right even if it wasn’t popular in their respective camps,” John said in a statement. “We need more people like that today. I am proud to support Adrian Fontes and join noble Republicans and Independents who are willing to put country before party. … His opponent is someone who sought to get rid of voting by mail and has sought to overturn the 2020 election. Arizona deserves better.”
The race took on prominence in the state’s midterm elections after Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who currently holds the position and has staunchly defended the state’s administration of the 2020 election, announced she would not seek reelection and would run for Senate instead. The issue of election integrity has become central to the race, with Finchem backing Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was riddled with fraud.
Arizona has become ground zero of Trump’s claims of voter fraud, with the state Senate spending months auditing the 2020 election in Maricopa County. Top county officials criticized the effort, stressing a report on the matter offered "no new evidence" that would alter the result of 2020's presidential election.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/here-are-the-republicans-backing-democrats-over-trump-candidates