Tarrant County voters reliably vote Republican. Here’s what the five members of Congress whose districts include parts of the county have to say about their party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville
“I endorsed Sen. Cruz early on for the presidency. . . . But the people have spoken, and now we must turn our focus to the general election. It is critical that the Republican Party unites to take back the White House in 2017 and ensure that our country is not subject to a detrimental Clinton administration. As I have said before, I plan to put all of my support behind Donald Trump and do whatever is asked of me to ensure a Republican is elected president.”
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U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth
“I am disappointed. I think there were better candidates for our nominee. There is also a great deal of work needed to heal the divisions caused by this campaign. I hope that healing can happen. I have reservations, not for him as the nominee but how that affects some members and other candidates. . . . I’m not endorsing at this point. I endorsed Jeb Bush. I’m not going to endorse again.”
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U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis
“If he’s our nominee, I’ll support him and vote for him. I have an obligation to support him. It would be pretty hypocritical of me not to support Mr. Trump. I do think he’s not our perfect nominee. I do think he’s also showing an ability to bring people in who have not traditionally voted for someone in our party.”
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U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell
“I was with Bush, Rubio, then Cruz. . . . I’m going to support the nominee. Most reservations will be settled in the next few weeks. Members will get more and more comfortable with the nominee. I want to be more familiar with his tax plan.”
Marchant is a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
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U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin
“I was a Cruz guy. I’ve endorsed Trump because he’s our candidate. It comes down to the Supreme Court. I don’t want Hillary Clinton nominating the justices. Whether you like him or not, the people voted for him. The people spoke. I feel his tax proposal doesn’t cut enough taxes. On social issues I may be a little more to the right. I’m a business guy. I’m one of the few people in Congress who owns a business. The main thing is the Supreme Court.”
Maria Recio: 202-383-6103, @maria_e_recio
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