Eliza Collins

USA TODAY

During the presidential primaries Charles Badger worked as former governor Jeb Bush’s director of coalitions. But on Friday, Badger announced he would be supporting Hillary Clinton.

"I must vote for a candidate who actually reads, studies policy, is prepared, and is running on bridging racial differences, not widening them,” Badger said in a statement released to USA TODAY.

Badger was one of more than a half dozen conservatives who joined Republicans for Clinton in 2016 (R4C16) Friday. The group — which is unaffiliated with Clinton’s campaign — is made up of Republicans who are backing Clinton for president over their own party’s nominee.

"We already have a 'great wall' in America — a wall of Republican leadership rising up to support Secretary Clinton over Mr. Trump," said John Stubbs, co-founder of R4C16, in the statement. Stubbs served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration.

“I’ve spent 20 years in Republican politics, but I am and always will be an American first,” Jenifer Sarver said in statement. “In this election we have two primary choices: someone who has substantive, credible, realistic policies that will move our country forward. Or, someone who divides, mocks and maligns, and whose campaign slogan explicitly yearns for the past. The choice is clear.”

Sarver was the deputy director of public affairs and director of speechwriting at the U.S. Department of Commerce under George W. Bush and has also worked for Republican lawmakers.

The group also announced Friday a list of Republicans who had previously endorsed Clinton but were now joining R4C16. That group includes Mark Salter, a former adviser to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Kurt Bardella a former spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Breitbart News.

The full list of endorses are here.