Jewish Elector Says No Chance Donald Trump Will Lose Electoral College Vote

Image by Getty Images

By Dave Goldiner December 18, 2016

A Jewish member of the electoral college from Arizona says there’s no chance he’ll go rogue and vote against Donald Trump — despite thousands of emails urging him to do just that.

“I (have) an obligation to the majority of the voters in Arizona who voted for him … and (to honor) their vote,” Bruce Ash, a Republican state committee member who is one of 11 electors from the state, told the Arizona Republic

Ash said he and other electors have been bombarded by emails demanding that they block Trump’s election. But he says he is not considering changing his stance, even though Trump was not even his “first, second, or third” choice for the White House.

“They demonize me, they call me a homophobic, an isolationist, a bigot, a misogynist, and an anti-Semite, which is interesting because I’m Jewish.”

Ash and 537 others will cast the only votes for president that really, really count Monday.

Even though he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes, Trump won enough electoral votes for an easy win.

One Republican elector from Texas has vowed to be “unfaithful” and vote against Trump, but there is no sign of the kind of widespread revolt that could lead 30-some electors to reject Trump. Even if that happened, the election would go to the House of Representatives where Republicans hold a solid majority.

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO