Biden Receives Endorsements From Nearly 100 Republicans

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Sept. 3 received endorsements from a group of nearly 100 Republicans.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks on the coronavirus pandemic during a campaign event in Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 2, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden received endorsements on Sept. 3 from a group of nearly 100 Republicans, including a number of high-profile former governors and independent leaders from across the country.

The group of current and former officials, named “Republicans & Independents for Biden,” issued a press release Thursday morning announcing that its members are joining forces to support Biden’s election bid on Nov. 3.

The group, headed by Trump critic and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, said in a statement that its “sole mission” is to prevent President Donald Trump from securing a second term.

“More than 180,000 Americans are dead from a pandemic that, with consistent leadership, could have been contained. Instead, it has been left to spin out of control by a President who ignored it, refused to lead, and endangered American lives,” Whitman said in a statement.

“In this moment of great national crisis, we need to elect a leader matched to the moment, someone who can restore competence to the oval office and unify the country. Joe Biden is that leader.”

Whitman, who spoke in favor of Biden at the Democratic National Convention last month, said the group will target voters in a handful of battleground states, particularly suburban women and voters who do not like Trump but still hesitate to back Biden.

In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, former Republican New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman addresses the virtual convention on Aug. 17, 2020. Handout/DNCC via Getty Images

The group plans to campaign, buy advertisements, and place opinion pieces in state and national media in support of Biden, she said.

Other high-profile members of the group include former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) who left office last year, and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld (R), who unsuccessfully challenged Trump in the 2020 Republican nominating contest.

“Joe Biden is a man of deep faith and commitment to family, decency and integrity, which will serve us all well when he is in the White House,” Snyder said. “We must elect Joe Biden in November so that we can begin the arduous but essential process of healing America and putting society back on a positive path where civility and working together help us achieve great things as a nation once again.”

Biden’s campaign has been trying to build a broad coalition of liberals, moderate Republicans, and independents. When he accepted the Democratic nomination at the convention in August, Biden said if elected he would be a president for all Americans, not just for the Democratic base.

The group is affiliated with and will be funded by The Lincoln Project—a political action committee and anti-Trump group which said that it will be launching a digital initiative this week to garner support for Biden on Facebook.

According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, The Lincoln Project had raised nearly $20 million by the end of June.

Reuters contributed to this report.