GOP lawmaker voting for Libertarian Gary Johnson instead of Trump

Republican Rep. Scott Rigell (Va.) says he plans to vote for Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson instead of his own party’s nominee, Donald Trump.

{mosads}“I’ve always said I will not vote for Donald Trump, and I will not vote for Hillary Clinton,” Rigell said in an interview with The New York Times published Saturday.

“I’m going to vote for the Libertarian candidate.”

Rigell, who is retiring from Congress at the end of his term, is the first member of Congress to say he is backing Johnson’s campaign.

Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld, have been trying to appeal to people who do not want to support Trump.

Rigell, who has said since winter he can’t support the GOP nominee, said he expects more Republicans to announce similar plans.

Some Republican candidates have asked him for advice, he said.

“When their own conscience is seared by some statement that Trump has made, I have encouraged them to be direct and also, in a timely manner, repudiate what he said,” Rigell said.

“People will respect it if you have a reason and you put it out there.”

The Virginia representative said he still thinks of himself as a Republican, but that could change.

Several other Republicans have raised concerns about their party’s nominee and some have said they don’t think they can support him.

Earlier this week, Rep. Richard Hanna (N.Y.) became the first sitting GOP lawmaker to say he would vote for Hillary Clinton. Hanna is also retiring after this term.