Shawn Reilly, the mayor of conservative stronghold Waukesha, has announced his support for Democrat Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, another significant political shift in favor of the Democrat. Reilly said his decision stems from a deep-seated concern over the future of the country under former President Donald Trump.
Reilly, who has been a lifelong Republican, recounted his departure from the party after the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. "It's difficult. The easy thing to do is just not say anything and cast my vote the way I want," he said.
"But I think we're at a crossroads now. I feel in my heart that this is something that I need to come out and say: I am going to be voting for Vice President Harris to become our next president", Reilly told FOX6 News.
Trump garnered 17,000 more votes in Waukesha County in 2020 compared to 2016, maintaining approximately 60% of the support. Despite the Republican's significant advantage, Reilly's endorsement of Harris signals a shift in the political landscape of the region. He previously voted for third-party candidates in 2016 and supported President Joe Biden in 2020 but kept his voting preferences private at the time. Every vote counts in Wisconsin, considering FiveThirtyEight's average shows the Democrat ahead by just 0.2 percentage points.
Reilly described his endorsement as a "vote against Trump," voicing his fears about Trump potentially returning to the presidency. "I am terrified of Donald Trump becoming our next president for all the reasons I have indicated: he's already been impeached twice. He's been convicted of felonies, and this is not what the United States needs," he said.
His endorsement aligns him with other Republicans who have recently voiced support for Harris, including former high-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, who warned against electing Donald Trump as president, agreeing with the claim that he is a "fascist" and making ominous warnings about a potential second term of his. Cheney campaigned with Harris in Brookfield earlier this week, where Reilly was present in support.
Another former Republican figure who is publicly supporting Democrat Harris is Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former official in the Trump White House. She believes a potential defeat at the hands of Harris, a woman of color, would be "devastating" to Donald Trump's ego. "He reserves his most vitriolic attacks for women of color."
Charlie Sykes, one of Wisconsin's most prominent conservative voices for more than two decades, has also expressed his support for Kamala Harris in the upcoming elections. "I don't think this is a normal election, so I'm doing something that I have to admit would have been a big surprise to me even a few years ago," said Sykes, now a political commentator in MSNBC. Additionally, former Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley, known as one of the state's most prominent Republican leaders, is also voting blue in the 2024 elections.
While some are switching parties, such as former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who has endorsed Trump, Reilly's decision illustrates the complex dynamics of the current political climate. Gabbard emphasized the need for political leaders to engage with communities across party lines, noting that there are opportunities to connect with individuals who feel politically isolated.
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