Former Republican PA Gov. Tom Ridge Endorses Democrat Joe Biden

PENNSYLVANIA — Former Republican Pennsylvania Gov. Ridge, who also served as the nation's first homeland security director, has endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

In an opinion piece published on Sunday in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Ridge provided scathing criticism of President Donald Trump, saying he "belittles, demeans, and ridicules people who disagree with him, and that I’ve never thought that loud, obnoxious, and simpleminded solutions to complex problems are the kind of qualities we want in a president."

Ridge also said that a vote for Biden is "a vote for the rule of law. And a vote for honest and earnest leadership. It’s time to put country over party. It’s time to dismiss Donald Trump."

Ridge, 76, was elected governor in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998. He resigned in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to become the nation's first director of homeland security, a position he held until 2005.