By james art - Former Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, known for his conservatism, cited Vice President Kamala Harris’ adherence to principles such as limited government, economic freedom and personal responsibility as reasons for his support.
- The Harris-Walz campaign targets disenfranchised Republicans, emphasizing the need to restore political integrity and role models for future generations.
- Flake expressed uncertainty about the GOP’s current trajectory, noting a decline in traditional support but encouraging a commitment to change.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – What would Jeff Flake, who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president a decade ago when he was a conservative representative and senator, say?
A reporter asked Flake that question at a Get Out the Vote event outside the Indian Bend Wash Visitor Center, an early voting center, on Wednesday afternoon, with about 80 Republican Harris supporters in attendance.
“We have a lot of Republicans who believe in limited government, economic freedom, individual responsibility, strong American leadership abroad,” Flake said as he looked to supporters standing behind him and everyone cheered in agreement.
This is why Jeff Flake supports Kamala Harris
Flake said Harris supports all of those things and believes bipartisanship is the way forward on border issues. “This is me 12 years ago. I felt the same way,” he added.
“Principled conservatism” involves evaluating a candidate, not blindly following party lines, Flake said. “I support Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz, not because I’m a conservative Republican, but because I’m a conservative Republican.”
“Conservative Republicans believe first and foremost in the rule of law,” and that means respecting election results, said Flake, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I know she would never use the powers of the presidency to overturn an election she didn’t win.
The one-term Arizona senator said he was on the Senate Judiciary Committee with Harris and on the House of Representatives with Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz during his six terms as a representative.
Most recently, Flake served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey for two years until he left the post in September. He represented the US in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts during his time as ambassador in the Biden administration.
Mesa Mayor John Giles: ‘We want our party back’
Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Latter-day Saint Republican who endorsed Harris in August, said, “If I had talked to Jeff Flake 12 years ago, what I would have said is, ‘Jeff, Kamala Harris is a better Republican than Donald Trump. I’m dead serious.”
Giles has campaigned for Harris throughout Arizona and also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He is part of the Latter-day Saint advisory committee for Harris-Waltz, as well as the Republican leadership group for Harris-Waltz, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Operation Harris-Walz will continue its core efforts to go after the “politically homeless,” or those who feel “isolated” from the Republican Party, in the final few days of the 2024 election, the mayor said.
“We want our party back. We want to have a party to be proud of. We want our children to be able to go to political rallies. We want to be able to point to political figures as people our kids should aspire to be more like,” Giles said, “and that’s all been taken away from us by the Republican Party, Donald Trump’s MAGA Republican Party.”
Flake said he doesn’t know if he should feel optimistic about the current state of the Republican Party. Trump supporters aren’t going anywhere, but more people are leaving the Republican Party.
“We chose to stay and protest and try to get the party back,” he said. “Independents are now the fastest growing party,” adding that the likes of Trump and Arizona Senate candidate Carrie Lake are steering the ship in the wrong direction.
Former Scottsdale Mayor Sam Campana and Tim Rister, a businessman and vice president of the Phoenix Rising, a soccer team, also made statements.
Why are Republicans turning out for Harris?
Roberta L. Voss, a real estate agent who served in the Arizona House of Representatives between 1997 and 2003, told the Deseret News that she agreed with Flake, saying that supporting a principled Democrat when the Republican option does not represent the beliefs of the Republican Party, is an obvious choice – “and that’s why I came out.” Voss held his ballot and a stack of fliers from the Arizona Republican Party for Harris. The fliers — headlined “Why a Conservative Believer Would Vote for Harris” — outlined Harris’ platform while touting the support she is receiving from conservatives.
On abortion, it says, “Harris believes that women will make the right choice” and that “like Liz and Dick Cheney, you can disagree with Harris” on this issue but agree with her on others.
Rick Beers, owner of an appraisal and valuation services business who stood next to Voss holding his stack of flyers, said Trump lacked civility, adding that he felt disgusted after hearing the remarks about Puerto Ricans made at a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden, New York
Voss and Beers, both Scottsdale residents, are getting pushback from their conservative friends. “We do, but we don’t care,” Beers said. “We put up a lot of signs, Republicans for Harris, and Trump supporters take them down … despite the fact that you know it’s against the law to do that.”
But, he added, “I find a lot more support than pushback.”