Former Democrat Joe Manchin endorses Republican — and calls her the 'soul of the Senate'



Democrats are raging at Joe Manchin, the former Democrat U.S. senator, after he endorsed Susan Collins, the incumbent Republican in the race for one of two Senate seats in Maine.

Manchin had represented West Virginia but was heavily criticized by Democrats for his moderate voting patterns. He left the Democratic Party in 2024 and became an independent.

'Susan is always in there, always in the trenches.'

Rather than endorse the progressive candidate of his former party, Manchin told voters 73-year-old Collins needed to stay in the Senate.

"You lose the Susan Collinses of the Senate, you’re losing the soul of the Senate — basically, a person you can talk to, who wants to do the right thing all of the time," he said on CNBC Monday.

"Now, everybody says, 'Oh, she doesn’t do this, doesn’t speak up.' Susan is always in there, always in the trenches," he added.

Collins released a statement about his endorsement.

"Joe is a dear friend and trusted colleague with whom I have always worked closely to solve problems and deliver results for the people of Maine and America," she said.

"From helping end government shutdowns and negotiating the Electoral Count Act to delivering COVID relief and historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure, we have shown what is possible when Republicans and Democrats work together to find common ground and get things done. I am honored to have his support," she added.

Keeping Collins in the Senate is pivotal for Republicans' hopes to maintain their control of at least one house of Congress.

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While Collins' progressive challenger, Troy Jackson, is not a democratic socialist, he has been endorsed by the organization.

Manchin has previously said he could not support a socialist for office.

"How could you support some of the crazy stuff they’re for? Have you seen their platform?” Manchin said to CBS’ Margaret Brennan in an interview last month.

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Dems in disarray over retiring Sens. Manchin, Sinema bucking party-line votes



Several Democratic senators have expressed disapproval as retiring Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona cast their final votes.

Manchin and Sinema, who were previously registered as Democrats before changing their affiliation to independent, have made a habit of breaking from their former party's voting patterns.

Most recently, Sinema and Manchin voted to block President Joe Biden's nominee, Lauren McFerran, from serving another term on the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, handing Senate Republicans another incremental victory. In response, several Democrats called the pair's votes "pathetic" and "disappointing."

This is not the first time Manchin and Sinema have butted heads with the Democratic Party.

"There's a tradition of having a balance on that board, and it's important, so it's disappointing they weren't able to get that done," Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota said.

"Millions of working people across the country will pay the price for their actions," Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said.

Like Sinema and Manchin, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont stepped away from the Democratic Party and changed his affiliation. Sanders' disapproval of the pair's "no" votes was kept short and sweet.

"Pathetic," Sanders said.

This is not the first time Sinema and Manchin have butted heads with the Democratic Party.

Although she voted with Biden most of the time, Sinema sided with the president less than her Democratic colleagues have. For example, Sinema eventually supported the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 after months of haggling and hesitating to support what has become one of Biden's most consequential pieces of legislation.

Manchin has also clashed with his former party, boasting the most conservative voting record of any Democrat or independent in the Senate this term. Manchin notably bucked Biden's Build Back Better legislation in 2021 and has consistently thwarted filibuster reform Democrats have put forward.

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