Former Senator Jeff Flake, other former Republican lawmakers endorse Joe Biden

Former Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake on Monday endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Flake said that his vote for Biden will mark the first time he's voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, though he said his decision stems from his conservative philosophy.

"And so, it is because of my conservatism, and because of my belief in the Constitution, and in the separation of power, and because I am gravely concerned about the conduct and behavior of our current president that I stand here today — proudly and wholeheartedly — to endorse Joe Biden to be our next president of the United States of America," Flake explained in an essay he published on Medium.

In addition to Flake, more than two dozen other former Republican members of congress are supporting the former vice president as part of his campaign's new "Republicans for Biden" initiative reportedly launching on Monday.

Fox News reported that some of the former lawmakers backing Biden had already expressed their support for the candidate, "including former Republican Sens. Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire (who is now an independent) and John Warner of Virginia."

According to Fox News the other former congress members include the following: 

"Former Reps. Steve Bartlett of Texas, Bill Clinger of Pennsylvania, Tom Coleman of Missouri, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Charles Djou of Hawaii, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, Jim Kolbe of Arizona, Steve Kuykendall of California, Ray LaHood of Illinois (who served as Transportation secretary in the Obama administration), Jim Leach of Iowa, Connie Morella of Maryland, Mike Parker of Mississippi, Jack Quinn of New York, Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island, Chris Shays of Connecticut, Peter Smith of Vermont, Alan Steelman of Texas, Bill Whitehurst of Virginia, Dick Zimmer of New Jersey, and Jim Walsh of New York."

ABC News reported that the Biden campaign said that the initiative includes a "national effort to engage Republicans who are supporting Biden this fall," and it will "encourage Republicans to organize their communities for Biden using the Vote Joe app and other relational organizing tools."