DGA Launches New Project to Track GOP Govs on Trump: ‘The Silent 9’
DGA Launches New Project to Track GOP Govs on Trump: ‘The Silent 9’
New webpage spotlights 9 sitting GOP Govs refusal to announce support for Trump
Today, the Democratic Governors Association launched a new feature of the “Gov Trump Tracker” website to inform voters where their GOP governors stand on supporting Donald Trump for president.
The new webpage, entitled “Trump Tracker: The Silent 9,” highlights the group of 9 sitting Republican governors from across the country who have refused to answer if they would support Donald Trump on the ballot in November.
Last night, Trump became the presumptive GOP presidential nominee in 2016.
But for months, Republican governors have been divided over Trump’s candidacy. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, the Republican Governors Association Chair, has dodged questions on if she supports Trump for more than two months.
Martinez is joined in “The Silent Nine” by governors John Kasich (R-OH), Matt Bevin (R-KY), Larry Hogan (R-MD), Rick Snyder (R-MI), Brian Sandoval (R-NV), Jack Dalrymple (R-ND), Dennis Daugaard (R-SD) and Bill Haslam (R-TN). The DGA will update the website as these governors declare clear positions on Trump’s nomination.
“Last night, GOP governors watched as the Republican Party was transformed into the party of Donald Trump overnight,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “Now, Republican governors have nowhere left to hide on questions about Trump’s candidacy. It’s time for RGA Chair Susana Martinez and the rest of The Silent Nine to declare whether they support Donald Trump or not. This website will help citizens learn the truth on where their governors stand on Trump’s candidacy.”
The “Trump Tracker: The Silent 9” project is an addition to the DGA’s original “Gov Trump Tracker” website launched in March. The site, www.GovTrumpTracker.com, was designed to keep tabs on 2016 gubernatorial candidates who will now share a ballot with Trump.
The RGA Finance Chair, Fred Malek, told USA Today in March that a Trump nomination “could imperil his party’s chances of picking up Democratic governors’ seats in Missouri, Montana, West Virginia, Vermont and New Hampshire.”
Here is a break down by the numbers of where Republican governors stand on Trump:
·THE SILENT NINE: 9 Republican governors refuse to say if they will support Trump as the nominee. These governors are from: NM, OH, KY, MD, MI, NV, ND, SD and TN.
·WILL SUPPORT TRUMP: 21 Republican governors have said they would support Trump as their presidential nominee. These governors are from: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, ME, MS, NE, NJ, NC, OK, SC, TX, UT, WI, and WY.
·Only 1 Republican – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker – has refused to support Trump in November.
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