“Several former Republican National Committee communications directors revealed Monday that they voted for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, joining the unprecedented list of Republicans to break party rank and stand against President Donald Trump. “Proud to vote country over party,” tweeted Ryan Mahoney, who led communications for the GOP from 2017 to 2019 under RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. Proud to vote country over partyProud to vote for @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/jK0DKaeI52— Ryan Mahoney (@rcmahoney) November 2, 2020 Doug Heye, the RNC’s communications director in 2010, also tweeted Monday that he’d declined to vote for Trump. He instead cast a vote for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah.), the 2012 Republican nominee. On Friday, I wrote-in Mitt Romney – a good man who has acted on principle – for president. I’m under no illusion he will win, but wanted to vote for a conservative I can be proud of, someone I believe is fully capable of being president.— Doug Heye (@DougHeye) November 2, 2020 Heye’s predecessor, Trevor Francis, and Lisa Miller, who led RNC communications during President George W. Bush’s administration, both told The Hill they voted for Biden. “It was a choice, and I chose country over party,” Miller told the news site. The former Republican officials join scores of GOP bigwigs and operatives to cross party lines ahead of Tuesday’s election. Michael Steele, who was chair of the RNC from 2009 to 2011, has been highly critical of the Trump administration and its GOP allies. He told followers last month that he endorses Biden because character, leadership, decency and constitutional norms matter. Steele partnered with The Lincoln Project, a super PAC founded by conservative political strategists who have been fighting to take down Trump. It’s among the most prominent of multiple “Never Trump” Republican groups campaigning against the president. Where you stand in the moment matters. In this moment, leadership, decency, constitutional norms matter. Character matters. Our vote matters. The president we choose matters. I stand with @JoeBiden because America matters. #Vote https://t.co/TGR08YQ3gd— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) October 20, 2020 Other prominent Republicans to come out in support of Biden include former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain of Arizona. In August, more than 70 former national security officials from the last several Republican administrations and other GOP officials endorsed Biden.
