Donald Trump won Texas in 2016, and the state's 38 electors met at the Texas Capitol on December 19.1 Thirty-six voted for Trump, one voted for Ohio Governor John Kasich and one voted for former U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas.2 For vice president, Pence received 37 votes and Carly Fiorina received one.3
Chris Suprun, a Dallas paramedic, had announced weeks earlier in a New York Times op-ed that he would oppose Trump, and on the morning of the vote he said he would vote for Kasich.4 The ballots were secret, and at first it was not known who had voted for Paul.5 Bill Greene, a political science professor at South Texas College, later explained that he had cast that vote.6 He told the Texas Tribune he wanted to affirm the founders' view that the Electoral College should not necessarily be a rubber stamp for the popular vote.7
The National Archives lists the two votes as faithless votes, the common name for votes cast against an elector's expected candidate; the Texas electors had signed a pledge to vote for Trump, but it was not legally binding.8 Top Texas Republicans then used the two defections to push for a law requiring electors to vote in line with the statewide popular vote.9
Maine distributes its electoral votes proportionally by Congressional district, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from its two Congressional districts. For the first time since adopting this system, Maine's four electoral votes were split between the two major party tickets.
There were faithless votes cast for president and vice president in Hawaii, Texas, and Washington.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 2016, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
Sources for each sentence
Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
When Texas' 38 electors gathered Dec. 19 to cement Donald Trump's victory, everybody expected one of them, Chris Suprun, to defect.
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau after completing their business at the Texas Capitol on Dec. 19, 2016.
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau - Back to sentence 2
Due to faithless voting, the electoral votes for Texas were: for President, Trump 36, Ron Paul 1, and John Kasich 1
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 with one elector casting a ballot for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and another voting for a fellow Texan, former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul.
texastribune.org/2016/12/19/watch-texas-electoral-college-vote-begins-texas-ca - Back to sentence 3
Ron Paul 1, and John Kasich 1; for Vice President, Pence 37 and Carly Fiorina 1.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 - Back to sentence 4
Weeks earlier, the Dallas paramedic announced in a New York Times op-ed that he would oppose Trump, and on the morning of the vote, he revealed he would instead cast his ballot for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau - Back to sentence 5
It was not immediately known who voted for Paul, the longtime congressman from Lake Jackson and three-time presidential hopeful. The process is secret ballot
texastribune.org/2016/12/19/watch-texas-electoral-college-vote-begins-texas-ca - Back to sentence 6
Bill Greene, a political science professor at South Texas College, instead voted for former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau Greene, who has kept a low profile since the vote, explained his decision Monday
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau - Back to sentence 7
telling The Texas Tribune he had wanted to "bring the process back into the classroom" and affirm the founders' view that the Electoral College should not necessarily be a rubber stamp for the popular vote.
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau - Back to sentence 8
Due to faithless voting, the electoral votes for Texas were: for President, Trump 36, Ron Paul 1, and John Kasich 1
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 Texas electors signed a pledge earlier this year at the state GOP convention promising to vote for Trump if he won the state. But the document was not legally binding.
texastribune.org/2016/12/19/watch-texas-electoral-college-vote-begins-texas-ca - Back to sentence 9
Top Texas Republicans, however, have taken a different view, using the defections by Suprun and Greene to push for legislation that would require electors to vote in accordance with statewide popular vote.
texastribune.org/2017/01/09/rogue-texas-elector-explains-decision-back-ron-pau
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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