Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, once again crossed party lines in the recent election by casting his vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the state.
This marks the second consecutive presidential race in which Scott has rejected his party’s nominee in favor of the Democratic candidate.
As he explained to VTDigger, “I did some soul searching and thought about a lot of different things … and came to the conclusion that I had to put country over party … and vote for Kamala Harris.”
Governor Scott’s choice underscores his belief that former President Donald Trump has negatively impacted the Republican Party.
“I know that Donald Trump, from my standpoint, doesn’t have the ability, nor the desire, to unite our country,” Scott said. He added that while he’s uncertain if Harris can achieve unity, “I do know she wants to, and she’ll try, and that’s half the battle.”
In deep-blue Vermont, this cross-party support is not entirely surprising.
The state, known for its progressive leanings, has long been represented by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats and has been a key figure in Vermont politics since his election to the House in 1991.
