Elections

‘Not an Easy Thing to Do’: Republican Gov. Casts Vote for Kamala Harris

PARTY POLITICS

“This is more of a vote against Donald Trump, than it is for Kamala Harris,” Vermont’s governor said.

Phil Scott.
Christinne Muschi/Reuters

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, cast his vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris rather than his party-mate Donald Trump. Scott had kept quiet on his presidential pick in the weeks leading up to the election, but as he exited his voting precinct in Berlin, Vermont, on election day, he opened up to reporters. “I did some soul searching and thought about a lot of different things… and came to the conclusion that I had to put country over party,” he said. However, he didn’t take the decision lightly—it’s “not an easy thing to do, being a Republican sitting governor and voting against your party’s nominee,” he said. Scott made headlines in 2020 when he voted for Joe Biden over Trump, and he said his decision in this election is largely similar. “I didn’t endorse Joe Biden four years ago, I voted for him,” Scott said. “I’m not endorsing Kamala Harris this time. I’m voting for her. This is more of a vote against Donald Trump.” Scott has been an outspoken critic of Trump—in September, he called him “a manipulator, a con artist.”

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