The only daughter of former Republican President Gerald Ford has endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Susan Ford Bales is a registered Republican and admitted she would ‘likely disagree on some policy matters’ pushed by the vice president.
But ultimately she believed that Harris’ ‘integrity and commitment to those same principles that guided Dad have led me to conclude’ that she should be in the White House over Donald Trump.
‘She recognizes the good and the greatness in our country,’ Ford Bales said.
‘I know she will defend the rule of law and our Constitution. And I know she will work to bring all Americans together to move us beyond partisanship.
‘That is what America deserves from our President.’
Susan Ford Bales, daughter of late Republican President Gerald Ford, endorses Kamala Harris for President
Her endorsement is a significant win for Harris in one of the seven battleground states.
Ford was Michigan’s only president and was propelled to the White House when Richard Nixon resigned in 1973 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.
‘When my father, Gerald Ford, was sworn-in as America’s 38th President, the nation was in need of a serious, compassionate and honorable leader who had the courage to do what was right and always to defend our Constitution,’ Ford Bales added in her statement.
‘His dedication to those values helped bring our country through a turbulent time and restored Americans’ trust in our democracy.’
Susan Ford Bales standing on the far left behind her parents, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford, at the White House in June 1975
Susan Ford Bales speaking at the U.S. Capitol at the dedication ceremony of the statue of her father in May 2011. Seated behind her are then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Her endorsement comes as the vice president is headed back to Michigan on Monday as she courts moderate Republicans and Independent voters this week with a series of events alongside Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
Earlier on Monday, Harris and Cheney had a discussion moderated by Republican strategist Sarah Longwell in suburban Chester County, PA.
There, Cheney argued despite their policy differences, Harris will defend the Constitution.
The congresswoman also gave her closing pitch for crossing the aisle to vote for the vice president.
‘I think that in this election, and especially here in Pennsylvania, we have the opportunity to tell the whole world who we are, and we have the chance to say we’re going to reject cruelty, we’re going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we’ve seen from Donald Trump,’ Cheney said.
‘We’re going to reject the misogyny that we’ve seen with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance,’ she added.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaking in a moderated conversation with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania on Monday. Harris and Cheney are holding events in battleground states as the vice president courts moderate Republicans and Independents to vote for her in November
In Michigan, Harris will speak with voters in Oakland, County in another conversation with Cheney as she continues her outreach to swing voters.
The vice president and former Congresswoman are targeting Republican voters who cast ballots for Nikki Haley as part of their outreach effort.
More than 300,000 Michigan voters picked Haley in the Republican presidential primary over Trump. Democrats are trying to woo them to expand their coalition for November.
President Gerald Ford with daughter Susan and their dog outside the White House
In her endorsement, Ford Bales said the U.S. if facing a ‘similar dynamic’ now as the country was when her father helped lead the country following Watergate.
‘America cannot regress back to a divisive paradigm of loathing toward one another and disdain for our Constitution,’ she said in her statement.
The former first daughter pointed to the ‘horrors’ of the attack on January 6.
She said the forces that incited it must be held accountable and never put in a position of power to do it again.
‘We can never allow a repeat of that tragedy,’ she said.
