Dallas Co. GOP Chair: Elector Changed Mind About Voting For Trump
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DALLAS (CBS11) - Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Phillip Huffines criticized a North Texas elector who made national headlines after saying he won't for Donald Trump for president.
Christopher Suprun, a Republican from Cedar Hill, will join other Texas Republicans who were chosen as electors, at the state Capitol in Austin Monday afternoon.
Huffines said he was frustrated, disappointed and angry when he heard Suprun announced in a New York Times Op-Ed earlier this month, that he would vote for another Republican, not the president-elect.
Huffines said he's surprised because Suprun promised him in an email dated November 14, that he would vote for Trump.
Surprun's email read in part, "I have no intention of denying the President-elect his victory. To the contrary, I have argued that while he and I have major policy disagreements, I will not Bork him as many Democrats would like."
He was referring to Robert Bork, President Reagan's nominee for Supreme Court Justice who Democrats rejected.
In an interview Friday, Huffines said, "For an individual to sign a pledge and then change his mind in some way well, in Texas, a man's word is his bond. So it doesn't sit well."
On Friday afternoon, Suprun acknowledged the email he sent Huffines.
He told CBS11 there's a reason he changed his mind. "The continuing realization Mr. Trump was not changing, wasn't becoming more presidential and again he was attacking people with non-facts."
In Texas, the electors are not legally bound even after making their pledge. They can change their minds.
Suprun said he tried to meet with Huffines before announcing his decision. "He never had time to meet with me, so eventually, I had to go on and make the decision without conversing with him first."
Huffines said, "I didn't know he was ever thinking of not voting for the president. But we didn't have a lot of communication. I made several phone calls into this individual after the controversy occurred."
When asked if he ever heard back from Suprun, Huffines replied, "No."
Texas Republican party leaders expect Suprun will be the only one of 38 Texas Republican electors who won't vote for President-elect Trump.
Huffines said he believes Suprun won't have any negative impact on the outcome.
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