Politics

Alabama governor: I voted for Santorum but I don’t endorse him

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley admitted Tuesday that he voted for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the state’s primary, but argued that shouldn’t be read as an endorsement of Santorum’s presidential campaign.

“I view Rick Santorum as the most conservative candidate in the Republican presidential primary,” Bentley wrote on Facebook after word leaked out on the radio in Alabama that he voted for Santorum.

On Tuesday morning, Santorum’s campaign blasted out a press release reporting that Alabama Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt relayed the news of who Bentley voted for on the “Rick and Bubba Show.”

Shortly after that, Bentley, who for weeks has said he wouldn’t endorse, took to his Facebook page to argue that the disclosure of his vote doesn’t mean he has made an endorsement.

“I have chosen not to publicly endorse a candidate. I believe a vote is a personal decision that should be based on a voter’s values and principles, not on someone else’s opinion,” he said. “After being asked who I would vote for, I responded that I had personally chosen to vote for Rick Santorum.”

He added: “The Republican primary features a strong pool of candidates, and I will fully support the Republican nominee chosen by the people.”

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