Former Sen. Jeff Flake said there are at least four Democratic presidential candidates he would vote for in 2020 if they win the party’s nomination.
The Arizona Republican, who has been critical of President Trump, told the Deseret News the president’s reelection could mean “doom long-term for the Republican Party” and he has no plans to vote for him.
Flake said he voted for a third-party candidate in 2016 and he’s not ruling it out in 2020, but he’s also taking a look at the Democratic field.
“I’m more conservative than any of the Democrats running for office. What I would like is for the Republican Party to nominate someone else. That doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen,” Flake said.
“I would like to vote for a responsible Democrat. I’ve worked closely with Michael Bennet. He’s a thoughtful, good man. Amy Klobuchar, I worked with her on a number of issues. Cory Booker has downplayed a lot of his bipartisanship. And Joe Biden. It’s been nice to hear him say, ‘I can work with the other side.’ That’s not what primary voters want to hear. But it’s what the country needs to hear because it’s true. I wish we had a Republican candidate who would say the same,” he added.
Even if he casts his vote for a Democrat, Flake said he doesn’t plan on leaving the Republican Party.
“I do think that we can become ourselves again. It’s going to be a lot easier to do after one term than two,” he said of Trump’s possible reelection.
