Republican Elected Officials Who Endorsed Obama
- Former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson
- Former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee. Two years later, he was elected Governor of Rhode Island as an Independent - Obama's avowed neutrality in the race was viewed by some, including the Democratic nominee, as a tacit endorsement of Chafee.
- Former Minnesota Senator David Durenberger supported John Kerry in the 2004 election, leaving the Republican Party. He now supports Obama.
- Former Oklahoma Congressman Mickey Edwards voted for Obama; announced one day after the election.
- Former Kansas Congressman, Nixon Administration Deputy Secretary of Defense and United States Permanent Representative to NATO Robert F. Ellsworth
- Former Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (who was an outgoing incumbent at the time) told WBAL-TV that he voted for Obama in a January interview.
- Former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton, father-in-law of former Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA)
- Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach
- Former Maryland Senator Charles Mathias, Jr. Mathias was a liberal Republican who was often at odds with the conservative wing of the party as a senator.
- Former South Dakota Senator Larry Pressler
- Former Connecticut Governor and Senator Lowell Weicker. Weicker left the Republican Party in 1988 after a campaign in which prominent Republicans endorsed his opponent, Joe Lieberman. He supported Democrat Bill Bradley in 2000 and Howard Dean in 2004 for the presidency.
- Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld
- Mayor Lou Thieblemont of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Thieblemont switched his party registration from Republican to Democrat so that he could vote for Obama in the Pennsylvania primary.
- Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker endorsed Obama and delivered a speech on the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Read more about this topic: Republican And Conservative Support For Barack Obama In 2008
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