Mass. GOP Guv Says He Won’t Back Trump As Republican 2016 Nom

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker delivers his State of the State address at the Statehouse in Boston, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker joined team #NeverTrump on Wednesday, telling reporters he won’t vote for frontrunner Donald Trump in November even if he’s the party’s nominee.

“I said I wasn’t going to vote for Donald Trump yesterday and I didn’t, and I don’t plan to vote for him in November,” Baker said, referring to the state’s Super Tuesday primary, which Trump won by a substantial margin.

Asked whether he would cross party lines if Trump secures the nomination, Baker responded in audio posted online by the Boston Globe, “I’m not much of a fan of Hillary Clinton, let’s put it that way.”

“But I’m not willing to concede with 35 states still to go that he’s going to be the Republican nominee,” he said. “I’m not willing to concede that the Republican nomination is over.”

Trump won seven states on Super Tuesday. Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) was the next closest candidate, winning two states, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) claimed victory in one.

Baker joined a growing contingent of conservatives who say they would rather vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton or a third-party candidate than support Trump in the general election.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: