Former Michigan Republican Governor William Milliken was the state’s longest-serving governor, holding office for 14 years. Under his leadership, Michigan passed laws to protect its lakes and waterways which are still in use today. He’s known for a willingness to cross party lines for the interest of the state and is admired by many.
He has also endorsed Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States.
While Donald Trump spoke in Detroit today, Michigan politicians were elsewhere. Many have chosen not to support Trump. Earlier this summer, current Republican governor Rick Snyder refused to endorse him. He is joined by a myriad of other officials from the state.
Milliken explained his decision in a statement:
“This nation has long prided itself on its abiding commitments to tolerance, civility and equality. We face a critically important choice in this year’s presidential election that will define whether we maintain our commitment to those ideals or embark on a path that has doomed other governments and nations throughout history. I am saddened and dismayed that the Republican Party this year has nominated a candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not embrace those ideals.
Because I feel so strongly about our nation’s future, I will be joining the growing list of former and present government officials in casting my vote for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.”
Milliken is known as “Michigan’s passionate moderate” for not always staying within party lines. Over the years, he has stepped away and endorsed numerous Democrats for office, including 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry.
Republicans Against Trump
Republicans everywhere are realizing how important it is to keep Trump out of the White House. Frank Lavin, who served as the political director for former president Ronald Reagan, wrote in an op-ed for CNN that Trump was “the emperor who wears no clothes.”
“It might not be entirely clear that Hillary Clinton deserves to win the presidency, but it is thunderingly clear that Donald Trump deserves to lose.”
As we see more and more Republicans step forward, we can only expect more to follow suit. No matter what our individual ideologies are, it is imperative that we all band together to save our nation.
Featured image via Traverse City Rotary Club at Flickr available under a CC Attribution-ShareAlike license.
