WASHINGTON — (CNN) A member of the electoral college from Texas is maintaining that he will not cast his vote for President-elect Donald Trump when the college completes the electoral process later this month.
“The election is not over — the election happens on December 19th when presidential electors cast their ballots. That’s when the election is complete,” said Chris Suprun, the Texas elector, in an interview on “New Day” on Wednesday.
Suprun, a paramedic from Texas who served as a firefighter during the Sept. 11 attacks, sparked controversy when he wrote a New York Times editorial last week saying that even though he is a Republican elector, he will not vote for Trump.
Suprun explained his decision to “New Day” host Alisyn Camerota, arguing that Trump “fails three basic tests” and that as a result he was seeking “another Republican” candidate to support.”
“One, it’s not sure to me (Trump’s) able to defend the nation,” Suprun said, pointing out that “there’s clearly some ties to Russia that need to be examined.”
Suprun also said that Trump had “not taken the opportunity since the election to unite the country in any way” and that “finally, we don’t know what his financial conflicts of interest are.”
The Texas elector said that for those reasons, he had decided to support Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former 2016 presidential candidate. But since Kasich put out a statement rebuffing the effort to whip electoral college support for a last ditch bid, Suprun said he has been “in a deliberations phase” searching for another alternative.
“Maybe I made a mistake by even naming him. I’m looking for a candidate like John Kasich, I thought I’d put that in the op-ed, someone with executive experience, someone with legislative experience, who can unite the country,” he said.
Suprun said that he wasn’t sure whether his peers in the electoral college would support his actions, but that he had received a message of support from none other than a Trump-supporting member.
“I am not sure of other electors specifically doing what I’m doing. I know I’ve been surprised by some of the positive news I’ve gotten back. Even last night, an elector — I don’t want to give away who it is — but he or she contacted me and said, we’re in complete disagreement, I am definitely voting for Trump, but I understand what you’re doing and why if that is what your conscience is, good for you.”
Suprun said he knows it’s unlikely his faithless vote would change the outcome. “I would be an asterisk in history and I’m okay with that,” he said.
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