Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) is crossing party lines to support Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) as she fights to keep her seat in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the midterms.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party and became an independent in 2024, announced that he is backing Collins and plans to campaign for her in Maine.
During an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Manchin praised Collins as one of the few remaining senators willing to work seriously with members of the opposing party.
“You lose the Susan Collinses of the Senate, you’re losing the soul of the Senate,” Manchin said.
He added that he intends to actively help her campaign.
“I’m gonna do everything I can to help,” he said.
The endorsement is not entirely unexpected.
Manchin and Collins worked together on several major bipartisan efforts during their time together in the Senate.
Both were involved in negotiations surrounding the 2021 infrastructure law, which directed federal money toward transportation, broadband and other projects.
They also supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, which expanded certain federal gun restrictions and provided new funding for mental health programs and school safety.
The two also participated in negotiations over the Electoral Count Reform Act.
That law clarified the process Congress uses to certify presidential election results and established that the vice president’s role in counting electoral votes is ceremonial.
Manchin and Collins were also part of the bipartisan Common Sense Coalition, a group of lawmakers that sought compromise during contentious debates in Washington.
Their political relationship has lasted for years.
Manchin also endorsed Collins when she ran for reelection in 2020.
This time, Collins is seeking a sixth term against Democrat Troy Jackson, the former president of the Maine Senate. Jackson became the Democratic nominee earlier this year and is challenging Collins in the Nov. 3 general election.
Jackson has focused his campaign on issues including healthcare, workers’ rights, affordability and economic inequality.
He has also criticized Collins over abortion policy and her relationship with President Donald Trump.
Collins has responded by emphasizing her long Senate record and her willingness to break with Republican leadership.
During a recent debate, she pointed to disagreements with Trump on issues including tariffs, immigration enforcement and military policy.
She has also highlighted her vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.
Jackson argues that those occasional disagreements do not erase Collins’ broader support for Republican priorities.
Collins, meanwhile, says she evaluates issues individually rather than automatically following her party.
The race has drawn national attention because control of the Senate is at stake.
Recent polling has shown a competitive contest, with one Washington Post-Schar School survey placing Jackson at 50% and Collins at 46% among likely voters, a difference within the poll’s margin of error, per the Conservative Brief.
Former President Barack Obama has also entered the race, endorsing Jackson and urging Maine voters to support the Democratic nominee.
Manchin’s decision puts another prominent former Democrat on the opposite side.
For Collins, his endorsement reinforces the image she has long tried to cultivate as a senator who works across party lines.
For Jackson, it adds another high-profile name to a race already drawing heavy attention from national political figures.
With Election Day approaching, both sides are increasingly bringing in outside allies as they fight over one of the most consequential Senate seats on the map.
