UTICA, N.Y.—A retiring upstate New York Republican congressman says he will vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president because Donald Trump is “unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country.”
Rep. Richard Hanna is the first Republican member of the House to express such support for Clinton. The political moderate had previously said he could not support Trump. He said he would vote for Clinton in a piece published Monday on Syracuse.com.
Hanna said that while he disagrees with Clinton on many issues, she is a “good American” who can lead.
Hanna said it was not enough to simply denounce Trump’s comments, such as his recent criticisms of the Muslim parents of a slain U.S. soldier.
“For me, it is not enough to simply denounce his comments: He is unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country,” Hanna wrote in the op-ed.
“Secretary Clinton has issues that depending on where one stands can be viewed as great or small. But she stands and has stood for causes bigger than herself for a lifetime,” Hanna added. “That matters. Mrs. Clinton has promoted many of the issues I have been committed to over the years including expanding education and supporting women’s health care.”
Epoch Times contributed to this report.
