Former Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley — a life-long member of the Republican Party who served from 2007 to 2022 — has been one of Texas’ most prominent Republicans.

And as the November elections approach, he sounded a warning: He is voting for Vice President Kamala Harris over former president Donald Trump, and while he’s announcing his break with the party publicly, he believes many Republicans will vote for Harris in secret.

“There are a lot, I think,” Whitley said. “They’re afraid to come out, because when they do, they get ridiculed and they get bullied and they get belittled. And so a lot of people who have been staunch Republicans and still are staunch Republicans, are afraid to stand up and be confrontational with some of the leaders that we have right now.

“It’s going to be close, but I truly believe that that a lot of Republicans are going to go into that booth and say, ‘I can’t support the insurrection.’ … I have talked with a number of people who I believe will do that, and they may not openly come out and say, ‘I’m voting for Harris,’ or they may just not vote.”

When it comes to Trump, there are a lot of reasons for Republicans to reject him, but also good reasons to vote for Harris, Whitley said. While Trump holds a four-point lead in the latest Texas polls, Harris is leading in most battleground states, but many polls are within the margin of error.

“Trump has constantly belittled and, you know, bullied people,” Whitley said. “He’s disrespected our military and our vets, he was convicted of paying hush money to a porn star. And then the thing that broke the camel’s back for me was the insurrection on Jan. 6.

“And so that’s the reason I wouldn’t vote for Trump, but the reason that I will support and vote for Harris is the fact that I do believe she wants to lift people up.”

Whitley said he believes that Harris will govern with an open mind, just as she changed her position on fracking by learning more about it. Harris also has said she would include at least one Republican in her cabinet. Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who has endorsed Cheney, could be considered.

Whitley — who also said he also was rejecting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and voting for Democrat and former NFL player Colin Allred — believes Trump still will win Texas, but said disenfranchised GOP voters might help swing other battleground states to Harris.

Whitley added that he’s concerned about Republicans again trying to steal the presidential election, and the election lies Trump, MAGA and elected GOP officials are likely to spread.

“I am concerned about the rhetoric we’re going to hear leading all the way up to the election,” he said. “And just as importantly, the days after the election.”

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