In a surprising move, a coalition of prominent Republicans has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and launched a new grassroots initiative, “Republicans for Harris,” aiming to sway GOP voters disenchanted with Donald Trump. The campaign was officially unveiled on Sunday.
The endorsement comes in the wake of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race on July 21. Biden, who faced internal Democratic party discord following a lackluster debate performance against Trump in late June, endorsed Harris upon his exit. This development positions Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the November election, where she is expected to face Trump, the GOP frontrunner.
The “Republicans for Harris” program seeks to engage Republican voters who have grown frustrated with Trump’s leadership style and his controversial Project 2025 agenda. Despite Trump’s denial of any connection to Project 2025—a plan proposed by The Heritage Foundation to overhaul the federal government—critics argue it reflects the former president’s broader agenda.
On Sunday, the Harris campaign spotlighted several influential former and current Republicans who have joined the initiative. Notable endorsers include:
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• Former Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who criticized Trump’s conservative credentials, stating, “There is nothing ‘conservative’ about Donald Trump. Conservatives believe in the Constitution, not a ‘man’s’ ego.”
• Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who also served on the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
The list of endorsers extends to several other former GOP members, such as:
Rod Chandler (WA)
Tom Coleman (MO)
Dave Emery (ME)
Wayne Gilchrest (MD)
Jim Greenwood (PA)
Susan Molinari (NY)
Jack Quinn (NY)
Denver Riggleman (VA)
Claudine Schneider (RI)
Christopher Shays (CT)
Peter Smith (VT)
Alan Steelman (TX)
David Trott (MI)
Joe Walsh (IL)
Additionally, former Trump administration officials have thrown their support behind Harris. Stephanie Grisham, who resigned as Melania Trump’s chief of staff after January 6, and Olivia Troye, a former Homeland Security adviser who left the Trump administration in August 2020, are among the notable names backing Harris. Troye expressed her concerns about Trump’s potential return, emphasizing her belief in Harris’s ability to uphold democratic values.
The endorsement roster also includes former Republican governors Jim Edgar (IL), Bill Weld (MA), and Christine Todd Whitman (NJ), as well as former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. Duncan stated his commitment to defeating Trump, even if it requires supporting Harris.
John Giles, the former mayor of Mesa, Arizona, criticized the GOP’s trajectory under Trump and urged fellow Republicans to prioritize the nation’s democratic integrity over party allegiance.
Other figures supporting the initiative are:
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
Former GOP state chair Chris Vance (WA)
Reed Howard of Young Republicans for Harris
Former RNC delegate Rina Shah
This bipartisan alignment underscores a growing faction within the Republican Party that is increasingly at odds with Trump’s influence and seeks a return to traditional conservative principles through support for Harris.
Check the announcement below:
There is nothing “conservative” about Donald Trump. Conservatives believe in the Constitution, not a “man’s” ego.
Endorsing American democracy and the future today, and leaving the past in the dust.
I’m endorsing @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/Dqnwpjen2m
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) August 4, 2024
