Kathleen Gray

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

The Grand Traverse Republican Party voted Thursday that it’s OK to vote your conscience, even if that means casting a ballot for a candidate from a different party.

But you'd better not talk about it publicly, especially if you hold a position of prominence.

That was the case for former Michigan Gov. William Milliken, a moderate Republican who has endorsed Democrats in the past and added to that number with an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last week over GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Milliken said Trump did not embrace the important qualities of tolerance, civility and equality and that he was joining other Republicans who were backing Clinton.

That didn’t sit very well with Jason Gillman, a Traverse City Republican, who offered a resolution at the county GOP meeting that said Milliken should no longer be recognized as a Republican.

“It’s a political statement. It says nothing about the service of the Governor. He’s done an honorable job in service to the country and the state,” Gillman said. “But this recognizes that his action over time have indicated he’s not a Republican anymore and when he speaks from the bully pulpit and endorses the other side, it’s at the very least, not right. It’s dishonest or he’s confused about what a Republican really is.”

The vote, which came after Gillman’s father — Michael Gillman, a friend and appointee of Milliken — spoke in opposition to the resolution.

“He eloquently spoke, opposing the resolution and talked about inclusion in the party and growing the party and then we took the vote,” Jason Gillman said.

It was 46-33. Milliken is no longer recognized as a Republican, at least not in his home county of Grand Traverse.

The resolution read, in part: “For endorsing Hillary Clinton, a known liar, probable felon, and Democrat for President over the Republican Nominee Donald Trump, we find the political actions and biannual endorsements of those in other parties by this figure of former Republican prominence to be detrimental to our party, its platform, and its candidates. Be it resolved that through a vote of duly elected Republican delegates in the Aug. 11 County Convention, the Former Governor William G Milliken's status as a Republican be no longer recognized by the Grand Traverse County Republican Party.”

Milliken could not be reached to comment on the party’s actions.Some of Milliken's other Democratic endorsements over the years include: former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Attorney General candidate Mark Totten, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and Gretchen Driskell, a candidate for Congress. But he also has endorsed Republicans, including Gov. Rick Snyder and Sen. John McCain when he ran for president in 2008.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal