Fmr Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin announces cross-party support in key Senate races

Former Senator Joe Manchin has crossed party lines to support two Republican Senate candidates in battleground races that could affect control of the Senate.

During an appearance on CNBC on Monday, former Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) said he supports former Representative Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in Michigan’s open Senate race and endorsed Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is seeking reelection. 

However, many conservatives have long referred to Collins as a R.I.N.O. — which means “Republican In Name Only.”

Manchin also said he plans to campaign alongside Collins, whom he described as “the soul of the Senate.”

 

“I’m backing whoever’s the best candidate right now. Susan Collins, I’m going to go campaign for Susan Collins,” Manchin said. “You lose a Susan Collins of the Senate, you’re losing the soul of the Senate, basically a person you can talk to, wants to do the right thing all the time. Everybody says, ‘Oh she doesn’t do this, doesn’t speak up.’ Susan is always in there, always in the trenches, and when you need someone to work with, I call Susan.”

Regarding the Michigan race, Manchin noted that although he has not made any endorsements, he considered Rogers a “personal friend” and expressed preference for him over far-left nominee Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.).

“I do support Mike Rogers,” Manchin said. “I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job.”

 

The endorsement arrives at a critical time.

Collins, seeking a sixth term, is locked in a fierce battle against Troy Jackson (D-Maine). Jackson stepped in as the party’s nominee following a turbulent primary shuffle triggered by original winner Graham Platner’s (D-Maine) withdrawal over sexual assault allegations.

Manchin, who has long criticized partisan polarization and extremism in both major parties, served in the U.S. Senate from November 2010 through January 2025.

 

In May 2024, he left the Democrat Party and registered as an Independent, citing what he described as increasing “partisan extremism” and political dysfunction in Washington. Nonetheless, he continued to caucus with Senate Democrats for the remainder of his tenure.

Credit:  oann.com