Donald Trump

Texas Republican Elector Resigns Rather Than Vote for Trump

"As a Christian, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Trump is not biblically qualified for office," Art Sisneros said

A Republican member of the Electoral College from Texas says he's resigning rather than casting one of the state's 38 electoral votes for Donald Trump.

Art Sisneros previously told The Associated Press that he was wavering on supporting Trump because, "as a Christian, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Trump is not biblically qualified for office."

In a lengthy weekend blog post, Sisneros wrote "the best option I see at this time is to resign my position as an elector."

He said he has heard from ecstatic Clinton supporters and even supportive Republicans, but also from outraged Trump backers writing "threatening and vile things."

Sisneros signed a state party pledge to support the GOP's standard-bearer, but that was before Trump was the official nominee. He said one of his options is to resign, allowing the state party to choose another elector.

Texas doesn't require its presidential electors to vote in accordance with the state's presidential election results. Trump won Texas by around 9 percentage points and captured 290 overall electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 232.

State electors meet in Austin and in state capitals nationwide next month to vote for president, and will also vote then on Sisneros' replacement.

Electors are chosen by party officials and are typically the party's most loyal members. Presidential electors are not required to vote for a particular candidate under the Constitution. Even so, the National Archives says more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged throughout the nation's history.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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