Republican withdraws from Electoral College after refusing to vote for Trump

ATLANTA — The Georgia Republican Party is in search of a new member of the Electoral College after one of its electors resigned when he said he could not vote for Donald Trump as president.

Channel 2 political reporter Lori Geary spoke one-on-one with Baoky Vu, a lifelong Republican who said his decision was based on principle.

“We love the country, we believe in the ideals of this country, and so this is why I’ve always been involved and engaged,” Vu said.

Vu said he has been a lifelong patriotic Republican with values he said were instilled in him by his family, which fled communism in Vietnam.

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“I actually played Ronald Reagan in the 1984 high school debate,” Vu said.

Vu told Geary that he supported Marco Rubio in the Republican primary and that it was an honor to be selected as one of 538 members of the Electoral College, who will formally cast votes for president and vice president.

Each party in Georgia has 16 electors.

Little-known rules in 21 states allow electors to go against the popular vote and write in a candidate of their choice. Georgia is one of them.

Vu said when Donald Trump went after the Gold Star family, that was the last straw for him.

“I theoretically wanted to write in a Newt Gingrich or Mike Pence because I fear that the nominee of the top of the ticket, I think doesn’t want to win the presidency,” Vu said.

Trump supporters immediately called on the Georgia GOP to remove Vu.

Atlanta Tea Party founder Debbie Dooley released a statement calling Vu a disgrace:

"Republicans should be outraged over Vu's stance to help Hillary. It is an embarrassment to the Georgia Republican Party."

“The party did not pressure me,” Vu said.

Vu said he resigned on his own because he didn't want to be a distraction.

“I think the Electoral College was a safety valve the founding fathers created to prevent their worries about the tyranny of the majority, which is where you get mob rule,” Vu told Geary.

The Georgia GOP said it will replace Vu according to the rules of the party.

Chairman Jon Padgett said he's confident Peach State conservatives will help elect Donald Trump president.

Cox Media Group