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PROVO — Former U.S. ambassador and Sen. Jeff Flake endorsed Kamala Harris' presidential bid on Sunday, citing what he described as the "fine character" of both Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Flake, a Republican, announced his endorsement of the Democratic ticket over former President Donald Trump in a post on X, saying he wants to put "country over party."
"I believe that we don't have to agree on every issue or policy, but that we should use the political process created by our founders to debate and persuade, not disparage and demonize. I want to support a candidate who understands that political opponents are our fellow citizens — the 'loyal opposition' as our parties once knew each other — not the enemy," Flake said. "Having spent the past three years overseas as a U.S. ambassador, I've seen up close that we have very real enemies abroad. We also have vital and indispensable allies. I want to support a presidential candidate who understands and appreciates the difference."
I'll be supporting Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) September 29, 2024
I've served with Kamala in the U.S Senate. I've also served with Tim in the House of Representatives.
I know them. I know first of hand of their fine character and love of country.
I would… pic.twitter.com/xn0OM4rcqk
Flake described himself as a "conservative Republican," and encouraged other Republicans who feel the same about Trump to "do the same" in supporting Harris.
"After all, in times like these, there is nothing more conservative than putting country over party," he said.
In an interview with ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday, Flake said Trump's efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election impacted his decision to back Harris.
"I think Republicans believe in the rule of law in particular, and it's difficult to support a candidate who, having lost an election, tries to use the powers of the presidency to overturn that election," he said. "That is anything but respect for the rule of law."
Flake's endorsement of Harris doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, as the former Arizona senator has been a longtime critic of the direction of the party under Trump's leadership. Flake called on Trump to drop out of the 2016 race after the emergence of the "Access Hollywood" tape, and announced he wouldn't seek reelection in 2017 during a fiery speech from the Senate floor during which he slammed Trump's "reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior."
Flake — a Brigham Young University alum and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — served in the U.S. Senate from 2013 to 2019, and was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey in 2021. He finished his ambassadorship on Sept. 1 and has since moved to Provo, where he now serves as the chairman of World Trade Center Utah's board of directors.
He is far from the only Republican to publicly support the Democratic ticket in 2024. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, announced their support for Harris earlier this month, and more than 100 former national security officials who served under Republican presidents signed a letter calling Trump "unfit to serve again as president, or indeed in any office of public trust."
"In short, Donald Trump cannot be trusted 'to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic ... and bear true faith and allegiance to the same,'" the letter states. "We believe that Kamala Harris can, and we urge other Americans to join us in supporting her."
The majority of Utah's GOP establishment has been more full-throated in its support of Trump — although Sen. Mitt Romney, another noted Trump skeptic who voted for his conviction after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection, has remained quiet on publicly endorsing in the presidential campaign, despite reported outreach from the Harris campaign.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a former skeptic of Trump, has fully embraced the former president, as has Gov. Spencer Cox, who was seen as one of the last holdouts in the party.
Although Utah is not in play at the presidential level, its neighbors Nevada and Arizona are seen as key battleground states that will help determine the outcome of the electoral college. Both Trump and Harris have made appeals to Latter-day Saint voters, given the faith's influence and strength in both states.
Lee has been critical of support for Harris among members of his faith and said the vice president poses a "severe threat" to religious liberty, due to her reintroduction of the Do No Harm Act in 2019 which would have overhauled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by limiting its scope and removing legal avenues for faith groups seeking exemptions to civil rights laws.
Supporters of the bill say it was meant to prevent discrimination by religious institutions based on race, gender, or sexual orientation.
"A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote against any religious institution, including schools, universities, hospitals, and charities," Lee said. "This is the truth: Kamala Harris doesn't believe that religious institutions should be able to live according to their faith. Rather, they must bend the knee to the popular social justice movement of the day."
On the other hand, several Latter-day Saint supporters of Harris, including former Rep. Ben McAdams, say their faith informs their support for the Democratic Party.
"When people ask us why we're supporting Kamala Harris, we can confidently respond that we support Kamala Harris, not in spite of our religion, but because of our religion," McAdams said on a virtual call in August.
Still, it's unclear how much impact, if any, Flake's endorsement will have on key voter groups in his home state. A 2017 Economist/YouGov poll found that — similar to late Arizona Sen. John McCain — Flake was more popular among Democrats than he was with Republicans.
