Already one of the leading Republican critics of businessman Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., did not rule out voting for former U.S. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton over the GOP frontrunner in November.
CBS Miami reported that Curbelo ruled out voting for Trump and has told some Democrats he might vote for Clinton.
“I think both Donald Trump and Mrs. Clinton are flawed candidates, if you look at the polls the majority of Americans have negative views on both of them,” Curbelo told CBS Miami “So I am going to wait and see what happens on our side, but I have already said I will not support Mr. Trump, that is not a political decision that is a moral decision.”
Curbelo has been sharply critical of Trump, musing last year that he could be a plant from the Democrats and criticizing the GOP frontrunner’s stance on immigration. Earlier this month, Curbelo was one of only five House Republicans to vote against joining a constitutional challenge to President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration.
First elected in 2014 in a swing district, Curbelo is expected to face a tough battle for a second term in November, especially as the district has grown friendlier to Democrats following the latest round of redistricting. Former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla., who Curbelo beat in 2014, and former Miami Dade Democratic Party Chairwoman Annette Taddeo are currently running for the Democratic nod.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) insisted Curbelo was moving to the left to win over voters in the district.
“If Carlos Curbelo thinks that floating the idea of supporting a Democrat will make South Floridians forget his tenure in Congress spent acquiescing to Speaker Ryan and anti-immigrant House Republicans, then he will be in for a huge surprise,” said Jermaine House, a spokesman for the DCCC, on Friday. “Nobody knows who the real Carlos Curbelo is anymore, but voters will remember that they can’t count on him to take a stand.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @ KevinDerbySSN
