Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin names Republican activist as running mate
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Evan McMullin, the independent presidential candidate who announced in August he was running as a conservative alternative to Donald Trump, named his running mate on Thursday: Republican activist and political and digital strategist Mindy Finn.
"I've been part of the group opposing Donald Trump in the Republican Party really since he announced last summer and as he continued to alienate and vilify people in this country," Finn told ABC News. She has "encouraged others to run for office," she said, adding that this is now an "opportunity to walk the walk." Finn has worked for Twitter, Google, former President George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney, and was once a senior digital strategist for the Republican National Committee. The 35-year-old said it's been "pretty discouraging" to see Republicans embrace Trump, and she's not afraid to go up against him. "I don't think the threat of hearing nasty things should keep people out of the public eye," she said. "You have to be tough. I kind of have to put on my teflon armor and take it."
The McMullin/Finn ticket realizes it's basically impossible for them to win, and their goal is to block Hillary Clinton and Trump from getting the necessary 270 electoral votes, sending the election to the House of Representatives. They also have another issue unique to their campaign: McMullin used the placeholder named Nathan Johnson as his running mate to gain ballot access, and the campaign said it's ready to go to battle in court to make sure Finn gets on the ballot.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
One great cookbook: Joshua McFadden’s ‘Six Seasons of Pasta’the week recommends The pasta you know and love. But ever so much better.
-
Scientists are worried about amoebasUnder the radar Small and very mighty
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
Judge rejects California’s ICE mask ban, OKs ID lawSpeed Read Federal law enforcement agents can wear masks but must display clear identification
-
Lawmakers say Epstein files implicate 6 more menSpeed Read The Trump department apparently blacked out the names of several people who should have been identified
-
Japan’s Takaichi cements power with snap election winSpeed Read President Donald Trump congratulated the conservative prime minister
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
