Arizona delegate heading to Republican convention but won’t vote for Donald Trump
Jul 12, 2016, 7:27 AM | Updated: 8:08 am
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Arizona Republican Delegate Lori Hack said she won’t vote for Donald Trump at next week’s Republican Convention and her state party chairman said he would replace her.
Hack fired off a letter to Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham. In the letter, Hack described herself as “an unbound delegate who is heading to Cleveland to vote my conscience.”
Graham responded that he considered her break from the party endorsement a resignation and he would replace her for the convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The convention begins Monday.
“I didn’t resign and I will be in Cleveland,” Hack said Tuesday.
Hack’s letter:
Today, I am withdrawing my 2016 Republican National Convention Delegate and Alternate Delegate Pledge in Support of Donald Trump.
I believe duly elected delegates have an obligation to vote their conscience, free of fear and threats. Chairman Graham is undermining that obligation by withholding credentials from delegates who fail to pledge loyalty to Donald Trump. A delegate’s loyalties must be to his or her country, family, party, and most importantly, God-given principles.
As a lifelong Republican, I never thought I would have to check my conscience at the door to serve as a delegate. Rather, I thought empowering delegates to be heard was what a constitutional Republic requires, especially from Republicans.Please know that it is not easy to have to take a stand against party leaders. In this case, they seem to place a personal agenda above the values and principles of our Party. The time to take a stand is now, so count me as an unbound delegate who is heading to Cleveland to vote my conscience.
Lori Hack
She also posted to social media.
[fb_embed_post href=”https://www.facebook.com/LoriMHack/posts/568538323326588/” width=”550″/]
Graham wrote Hack on Monday:
AZGOP Chairman @RobertSGraham's Response to Delegate Pledge Withdrawal: pic.twitter.com/cJYTcA7x50
— AZ Republican Party (@AZGOP) July 11, 2016
Arizona is a winner-take-all state, Trump won by a 2-1 margin in the March presidential preference election. All 58 delegates must support Trump by state law.
Valley political expert Shane Wikfors said he’s not surprised with delegates bailing on the presumptive GOP presidential nominee before the convention.
“What the nominee has said publicly has concerned great concern among the republican party. You may see more of these happen. Not just in Arizona but across the country,” he said.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Secretary of State Michelle Reagan were among the delegates who have stepped away.
