Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge broke with the Republican Party to endorse Joe Biden for president.
In an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, Ridge said he is proud to have opposed President Trump in 2016 and declared his intent to vote for Biden in 2020, which will be the first time he has voted for a Democratic presidential nominee.
“I will cast my vote for Joe Biden on Nov. 3. It will be my first vote for a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. But it is not the first time I have said ‘no’ to Donald Trump. I urge my fellow Pennsylvanians to join me,” Ridge wrote.
“I actually consider it a point of personal pride that I’m recognized for being among the first Republicans to reject Donald Trump. It was way back in December 2015. I told NBC’s Chuck Todd that day that I could never support Trump. I said then that he was an embarrassment to the Republican Party and our country,” he added.
Ridge, who served as the country’s first homeland security secretary under President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, criticized Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He said that Trump talking about downplaying the virus to Watergate journalist Bob Woodward proves he is “incapable of such leadership” needed to navigate the pandemic or other difficult situations.
Ridge said he would return to criticizing Biden’s liberal policies if he wins in November but maintained that the Democrat “absolutely must be America’s next president.” He acknowledged the important role that Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida will play as swing states in 2020 and urged voters in those states to choose Biden.
“Pennsylvania voters, along with voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida, are likely to ultimately determine the next president. So much is at stake. For me, voting is not just a privilege, but a responsibility,” he wrote. “And this year, I believe the responsible vote is for Joe Biden. It’s a vote for decency. A vote for the rule of law. And a vote for honest and earnest leadership. It’s time to put country over party. It’s time to dismiss Donald Trump.”
