Some people who cast votes for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican primary are not sticking with the GOP now that former President Donald Trump is the nominee, but are instead backing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Speaking to The Guardian, some of these voters are sharing their thoughts.
Haley, who previously served in the Trump administration, was the final candidate to stay in the race against Trump. She ultimately dropped out, and later endorsed Trump — but it was clear some of her supporters felt differently, as she continued to get a sizeable chunk of voters in primaries long after she had suspended her campaign.
“When we cast our votes in the primaries we weren’t really voting for her as an active candidate,” said Craig Snyder, who heads up the Haley Voters for Harris PAC (formerly Haley Voters for Biden). “But we wanted to send a message that this was not the kind of Republican party that we wanted, that Trump’s period as the spirit-bearer of the party needed to come to an end.”
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John "Jack" Merritt, a self-described "center-right" voter and "strict constitutional constructionist" who has been with the GOP for over 50 years and previously headed up the GOP in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, explained why he was backing Harris.
“I became incredibly disenchanted with the polarization of the two parties in the U.S.," he said. "I picked the side that had the least amount of issues. I think [Harris and Walz] are more likely to ask for everything they want, but accept what they can get, especially if Congress turns out to be Republican this year. I’m looking for people who can truly govern, not just people who have ideological standards.”
Haley Voters for Harris recently received a cease and desist warning from the Haley campaign, which is threatening legal action against the use of her name.
The group has stood its ground, noting that their name is not in fact misleading, and the fact that it consists of "Haley voters" does not imply an endorsement from Haley herself.
This comes as the Democratic National Convention hosts a number of current and former Republicans, like Mesa County, Arizona mayor John Giles, and self-described former "ultra-MAGA activist" Rich Logis, all of whom are now backing Harris as well.
