Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who recently defected from the Democratic Party, said other centrist Democrats would join the GOP out of fear that independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would become the presidential nominee.
During an interview with Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, Van Drew said other Democrats were considering joining the Republican Party because they fear the “down-ballot effect” of Sanders being nominated for president.
“When it does go well, I do believe there will be other people that will think the same way. There are some good moderate Democrats on the other side, and I really believe they belong on the Republican side,” he said. “It’s becoming more of a socialist party, and that is not what I signed up for.”
Van Drew said the party lost the chance to pick a more appealing candidate by failing to recognize the threat Sanders posed. “I think they saw some polling that scared the daylights out of them, and now the Democrats are stuck with a candidate that almost nobody wants,” he said.
Van Drew’s comments follow endorsements of Biden from several more traditionally liberal party loyalists, including former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also remains in the presidential primary race, though she polls last in most surveys, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
