On Monday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced in a Washington Post op-ed that she would not be voting for her party’s nominee, Donald Trump.
I will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country.
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Some will say that as a Republican I have an obligation to support my party’s nominee. I have thought long and hard about that, for being a Republican is part of what defines me as a person. I revere the history of my party, most particularly the value it has always placed on the worth and dignity of the individual, and I will continue to work across the country for Republican candidates. It is because of Mr. Trump’s inability and unwillingness to honor that legacy that I am unable to support his candidacy.
Collins is one of the famed yet elusive GOP “moderates,” so it’s not like this will change the minds of a lot of Trump die-hards, but it’s still a big deal if only because Trump is making a play to win her state.
Collins will not, however, be going the next logical step and endorsing Clinton. She says in the piece that she doesn’t support either of the parties’ nominees.
