Prominent Republicans urged Arizonans to vote Biden in the run-up to 2020 election

PHOENIX - As of Nov. 9, unofficial results from Arizona elections officials show Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden with a slim lead in Arizona. Meanwhile, the Associated Press and FOX News have projected Biden to win Arizona's 11 electoral votes, and this victory could be thanks to Republican names in the state that urged voters to go blue this year.

"Well, I’ve never voted for a Democrat for president," said former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake. "I had voted for Democrats downballot before, but it was a tough thing to do. I’m a Republican, I’m a conservative."

For the 2020 election, Flake voted for Biden. This followed an official endorsement for Biden earlier in 2020 that was heavily critical of President Donald Trump.

"The President of the United States degraded his office, and diminished the United State’s role as leader of the free world," said Flake at the time.

Flake was one of a number of "Republicans for Biden" who came out in support of the Democrat, but he discounted his own endorsement in Arizona, and instead deferred to another prominent name: Cindy McCain.

"As for my own endorsement, I don’t suspect that it moved many people," said Flake. "Cindy McCain, on the other hand, I think she had a big impact. I think a lot of Republicans were looking for permission, if you will, to vote for a Democrat. And I think she provided that."

As for if and when Trump might concede, Flake says he doesn’t know, but he doesn’t think the message from the White House right now is a good one.

"Alleging that there was massive fraud or people were cheating. The President is certainly entitled to if there are specific instances of fraud, those ought to be reported and prosecuted, but to make blanket accusations of cheating and fraud, that’s not helpful," said Flake.