The first Republican elector turns his back on Mr. Trump

Christopher Suprun, an elector in the US state of Texas, has become the first Republican to announce that he will not vote for President-elect Donald Trump on December 19.

President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo: PA)

Share onNew York TimesChristopher Suprun said he would separate himself from the Republican electoral college in Texas, voting for another candidate he believes is more suitable than Mr. Trump.

Under the Electoral College system, he said, he had a constitutional obligation to vote rationally, not necessarily out of party loyalty. He stressed that each elector should decide which candidate was appropriate and not be swayed by foreign factors.

Thus, Mr. Suprun is the first Republican elector to publicly declare his backing on President-elect Trump even though Mr. Trump won in Texas - a state with 38 electors.

The statement came after at least seven Democratic electors out of the 538 electors in the US launched a campaign to persuade Republican electors not to vote for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump won a surprise victory in the election on November 8. Although Mr. Trump received more than 2.5 million fewer popular votes than Mrs. Clinton, thanks to victories in key states, Mr. Trump received 306 electoral votes, compared to Mrs. Clinton's 232. However, Trump's path to the White House was not completely smooth when Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein proposed a recount in three key states: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In a related development, a non-profit group through its law office has filed a lawsuit to request a recount in Florida - one of the decisive states in this year's White House race. According to the lawsuit, some voting machines in Florida may not be working properly.

According toPeople's Intelligence