Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president on Sunday.
The former ambassador to Turkey gave his endorsement in a social media post, writing that he wants to “support a Presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country rather than one who divides us.”
Flake parlayed an endorsement of President Joe Biden in 2020 into an ambassadorship, from which he just resigned on Sept. 1. He became the Turkish ambassador in January 2022. Flake, once called a “Never Trump” Republican, also withheld his endorsement of Trump in 2016 against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
He served just one term as senator from Arizona, and opted against running for a second term amid his opposition of Trump and polls that showed him losing in the Arizona GOP primary to Kelli Ward, who subsequently lost to then-Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
“Having spent the past three years overseas as a U.S. Ambassador, I’ve seen up close that we have very real enemies abroad,” Flake said in Sunday’s post to X. “We also have vital and indispensable allies.”
“I want to support a Presidential candidate who understands and appreciates the difference,” said Flake, who also served as an Arizona congressman from 2001-13.
Flake is the latest in a torrent of Republicans endorsing Harris in recent weeks.
Former Republican U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales endorsed Harris earlier this month, calling Trump the “biggest threat to the rule of law in a generation.”
His endorsement followed that of former Bush Vice President Dick Cheney, his daughter and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, Meghan McCain, daughter of former GOP Sen. John McCain, in addition to the more than 200 Republican White House and alums of GOP candidates who endorsed Harris last month.
There are others, including former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, former White House press secretary under Trump Stephanie Grisham, and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.
Former Kansas GOP Sen. Nancy Kassebaum endorsed Harris on Thursday.