Gov. Phil Scott will attend a rally for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley in South Burlington on Sunday. He’s asking Republicans and Democrats alike to cast a ballot for the former South Carolina governor in Tuesday’s primary election.
Scott was one of the first Republican governors in the country to denounce President Donald Trump and called for his removal from office after Jan. 6.
“I’ve said early on that I’ll do anything I can to prevent what I see happening, which is for former President Trump to receive the nomination and then we have a repeat of four years ago, which I don’t think is healthy for the country,” Scott said.
Scott endorsed Haley for president last month, and said she represents a more responsible alternative to Trump.
“I look for candidates that can actually govern rather than resort to other methods that are just unhealthy for our democracy,” he said.
Scott said he hopes Republicans, independents and even Democrats will cast ballots for Haley in Tuesday’s primary election.
“That would be helpful to at least send the message that we’re tired of this, you know, that we’re tired of seeing it throughout the country,” he said.
Haley's stop in Vermont is a part of a larger campaign effort ahead of Super Tuesday, where 15 states — including Vermont — will hold presidential primaries on March 5.
More from Vermont Public: Your guide to Vermont’s presidential primary voting
Although former President Donald Trump is the runaway favorite for the Republican nomination, Haley remains in the race.
Matt Dickinson, a political science professor at Middlebury College, said Vermont is likely as favorable to Haley as any Super Tuesday state.
He said the GOP is split between its pro-Trump wing and a faction of more moderate voters represented by Gov. Scott and former Gov. Jim Douglas.
"I suspect that says something about the composition of the Republican Party in Vermont now," Dickinson said. "There's a struggle going on for the soul of the Republican Party in Vermont."
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