Vice President Harris’s campaign has initiated “Republicans for Harris,” securing endorsements from over 25 GOP figures, including former secretaries Chuck Hagel and Ray LaHood, as well as a number of ex-GOP governors and lawmakers.
On Sunday, the campaign revealed that Stephanie Grisham, who served as press secretary during the Trump administration, and Olivia Troye, a former national security adviser to Mike Pence, have also thrown their support behind Harris.
US Presidential Aspirant, Kamala Harris
Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska and Defense secretary, and LaHood, an ex-GOP congressman from Illinois and Transportation secretary, both held positions under President Obama.
Former Representatives Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), and Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) have endorsed Harris for the upcoming election. This group also includes Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who initially backed Biden before Harris took his place on the ticket after Biden’s withdrawal following a poor debate showing and increasing pressure from within his party.
Grisham urged other Trump administration officials who witnessed Trump’s leadership to support Harris in November to maintain integrity in the White House and safeguard democracy. Troye emphasized that the stakes of this election are too important to allow partisanship to endanger freedoms and the Constitution.
The “Republicans for Harris” group aims to mobilize GOP voters by encouraging them to talk to their communities about the importance of supporting Harris. The campaign has described this initiative as a “campaign within a campaign” and will kick off events in battleground states like Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
The campaign also announced endorsements from former GOP Governors Bill Weld (Mass.), Christine Todd Whitman (N.J.), and Jim Edgar (Ill.), with former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) joining after previously supporting Biden.
Austin Weatherford, Harris’s national director for Republican outreach, criticized Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism as harmful to Republicans who feel their values are no longer represented by Trump, stressing that Harris’s campaign is committed to earning their support to defend democracy and restore decency.
Other GOP backers of Harris include former Representatives Alan Steelman (Texas), Claudine Schneider (R.I.), David Emery (Maine), David Trott (Mich.), Jack Quinn (N.Y.), Jim Greenwood (Pa.), John LeBoutillier (N.Y.), Tom Coleman (Mo.), Rod Chandler (Wash.), Peter Smith (Vt.), and Wayne Gilchrest (Md.).
