2 New Jersey GOPers Changing Parties Over Trump

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HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — Two Republican officials in New Jersey are switching political parties over what they say are racist comments made by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse and Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino changed their party affiliation to independents on Thursday.

The pair said in a written statement that Hackensack is a diverse city and the “divisive and racist statements that Trump keeps making are insulting to many of our people and completely unacceptable.”

Labrosse and Canestrino say there was not a specific comment that influenced their decision. They say it was the general tone of the campaign.

Even though Labrosse and Canestrino were registered Republicans, Hackensack selects council members in a nonpartisan election.

Census figures show about 17,000 of the city’s nearly 44,000 residents were foreign-born.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Notable Replies

  1. And so the dissolution of what passes for the Republican Party begins. Drip…drip…drip…

  2. Like Arnold, they’ll be back!

    Lots of Repubs bailed after it was impossible to deny what Bush had done but they still vote Republican and they still sit back and watch as the Republican Party turns into a freak show that hurts America without speaking up.

    The Independent Party is a hydra of sorts. They have left leaning and right leaning members that aren’t really Independents and there are a few truly uncommitted that just can’t make up their minds. Basically, it’s somewhere to hide when you can’t admit what you really are.

  3. Trump: When it’s all said and done, our party will be firmly united.

  4. Two more leave the sinking GOP ship! … Many more to follow!

    ~drip!drip!drip!~

  5. Yes, yes but true indy’s? Or still party line gop/bag hacks that pretend they are above the fray?

    Hey, repubs YOU MADE THIS!

    Over 30 years of constant racism, bigotry, by-bul thumping hatred, all for political gain. You need to wear the trumpet cloak as punishment of what you put the rest of the country through for so long.

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