On Sunday, former Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock (Va.) announced her decision to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, marking a significant departure from her party’s endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Comstock’s announcement follows a similar move by another former Republican congressman from Virginia, Denver Riggleman, who also endorsed Harris’ candidacy.
Comstock, who served Virginia’s 10th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019, cited the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 as a key factor in her decision. “After Jan. 6, after Donald Trump has refused for four years to acknowledge that he lost, and his threats against democracy, I think it’s important to turn the page. That’s why I will be voting for the vice president,” she stated during a recent CNN appearance.
Former GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock on why she is voting for VP Harris, “After what Donald Trump refused for four years to acknowledge that he lost and his threats against democracy. I think it’s important to turn the page and that’s why I will be voting for the vice president.” pic.twitter.com/8rshrU4xTA
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 18, 2024
Earlier this month, the Harris campaign introduced the “Republicans for Harris” initiative, unveiling a high-profile list of endorsements, including Riggleman’s. Like Comstock, Riggleman pointed to the Capitol attack as the catalyst for his departure from the Trump-era GOP.
Comstock’s history of opposition to Trump is well-documented. In 2016, after audio recordings of Trump making obscene comments about women to television host Billy Bush surfaced, Comstock was among approximately two dozen Republican lawmakers who urged him to withdraw from the presidential race. She ultimately lost her reelection campaign in 2018 but has remained a vocal critic of Trump.
On Sunday, Comstock also confirmed that she did not vote for Trump in either the 2016 or 2020 elections.
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