Former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is joining Republican Sen. Susan Collins on the campaign trail in Maine, challenging Democratic efforts to unseat the five-term incumbent as prominent figures from both parties descend on the state ahead of the midterm elections.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is preparing to campaign alongside Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine on Wednesday, Oct. 21, delivering a high-profile endorsement across party lines as Democrats intensify efforts to capture her Senate seat in one of the most closely contested races of the 2026 midterm elections.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 and became an independent before retiring from Congress, will travel to Androscoggin County to support Collins’ bid for a sixth term. His appearance comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and national Democratic organizations work to defeat the longtime Republican incumbent and elect former Maine state Senate President Troy Jackson.
Collins’ campaign confirmed the visit to Fox News Digital, following an earlier report by Semafor. The former West Virginia senator’s involvement introduces a prominent former Democratic lawmaker into the Republican campaign at a critical stage, with Election Day approaching on Nov. 3.
Manchin’s support centers on his longstanding working relationship with Collins and his contention that her voting record demonstrates independence from Republican leadership and President Donald Trump.
“She is not a Trump senator,” Manchin told Semafor, rejecting Democratic efforts to portray Collins as consistently aligned with the president.
The former senator pointed to their cooperation on major legislation during the Biden administration, including the bipartisan infrastructure package, as evidence of Collins’ willingness to negotiate across party lines. He also cited her opposition to Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and her disagreements with Trump over significant policy initiatives.
Collins was among the Republicans who opposed Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package, commonly known as the “one big, beautiful bill,” during his second administration. Her opposition has become a central part of her effort to distinguish herself from the president while maintaining her standing within the Republican Party.
Manchin’s scheduled campaign stop follows his announcement in September that he intended to assist Collins’ reelection effort. In remarks reported by Semafor, he said his appearance was intended to challenge assertions that Collins routinely enables Trump’s political agenda and to explain the importance of her bipartisan record.
The timing places Manchin’s visit immediately ahead of a major Democratic campaign appearance. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is scheduled to campaign for Jackson on Thursday, bringing one of the party’s most recognizable progressive figures into the state.
Jackson has already received campaign assistance from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., both of whom have supported his effort to replace Collins. Former President Barack Obama has also endorsed Jackson, demonstrating the level of national attention surrounding the contest.
Collins’ campaign has used those endorsements to argue that Jackson would align himself with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing if elected.
“Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represent the far left of the national Democratic Party,” Collins spokeswoman Blake Kernen told Fox News Digital. “That they are all campaigning in Maine for Troy Jackson tells voters exactly how he would govern.”
Kernen also welcomed Manchin’s decision to participate in the campaign, contrasting his reputation as a centrist Democrat with the progressive politicians supporting Jackson.
“Senator Manchin campaigning for Senator Collins is a testament to her record of effective, independent leadership and commitment delivering results that have greatly benefited Maine and America,” she said.
The contrasting endorsements reflect competing strategies in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. Republicans are emphasizing Collins’ legislative experience and relationships across party lines, while Democrats are seeking to connect her record to the policies of the Trump administration and mobilize voters seeking a change in representation.
Recent polling has indicated a competitive contest, with Jackson holding narrow advantages in several surveys and Collins leading in at least one. The Bangor Daily News reported Tuesday that the former West Virginia senator’s visit will take place in Androscoggin County as Collins continues a reelection campaign that has attracted substantial national involvement.
The Democratic contest changed significantly earlier this year when Graham Platner withdrew following a sexual assault allegation that disrupted his candidacy. His departure reshaped the race and left Jackson, a former state legislator with a strong background in organized labor and progressive politics, as the party’s nominee against Collins.
Jackson has concentrated his campaign on economic concerns, health care and criticism of Collins’ record in Washington. Democrats have also argued that replacing Collins would provide Maine with a senator more willing to oppose the Trump administration.
Collins, meanwhile, has emphasized her seniority, work on federal appropriations and reputation for securing resources for Maine. She has served in the Senate since 1997 and is seeking to become the state’s longest-serving U.S. senator.
Her campaign has benefited from appearances and support from prominent Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Manchin’s participation adds a different dimension by bringing a former member of the Democratic caucus into the Republican incumbent’s coalition.
Manchin’s decision is consistent with his increasingly public disagreements with Democratic leadership during and after his Senate career. Although he served as a Democrat for most of his political life, his positions on energy, federal spending and Senate procedure frequently placed him at odds with the party’s progressive wing.
Those tensions became particularly pronounced during the Biden administration, when Manchin played a decisive role in negotiations over major spending legislation and resisted proposals to weaken the Senate’s legislative filibuster.
He formally left the Democratic Party in May 2024, registering as an independent before completing his final Senate term. His departure followed years of disputes over the direction of the party and its approach to governing.
In his memoir published last year, Manchin sharply criticized former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, along with Schumer, over their leadership and policy decisions. His strongest objections concerned Democratic proposals to eliminate or substantially weaken the filibuster, which he viewed as a safeguard against one-party control of the legislative process.
Manchin disclosed that those concerns had led him to favor a Republican Senate majority during the 2024 elections.
He wrote that he “wanted Republicans to win the Senate majority in 2024,” explaining that he believed the party would be more likely to preserve the chamber’s traditional procedural protections.
“I believed it was the only hope for preserving the Senate as an institution,” Manchin said. “I truly believed that, if in power, Republicans would uphold the filibuster, the last guardrail preventing total partisan rule.”
His decision to campaign for Collins now places those longstanding disagreements with Democratic leadership directly into a competitive Senate election.
The Maine contest has also become increasingly contentious between the candidates themselves. During a recent debate, Jackson told Collins to “shut up” following an exchange about a protester who had interrupted the proceedings. Jackson subsequently defended his response, while Collins’ campaign criticized his conduct. The confrontation added to the tensions surrounding the final weeks of the election.
Collins’ supporters argue that her seniority and independence make her an effective representative for a politically diverse state. Jackson’s campaign counters that Maine needs new leadership and has challenged Collins’ decisions on major national issues, including her votes involving the Trump administration.
The campaign’s latest developments underscore the national significance of the race as both parties devote substantial resources and prominent surrogates to influencing the final outcome.
For Collins, the involvement of a former Democratic senator offers an opportunity to reinforce her appeal to independent voters and Democrats who have supported her in previous elections. Manchin’s endorsement also provides an example of cross-party political cooperation at a time when partisan divisions remain central to the national campaign.
With Manchin scheduled to appear Wednesday and Ocasio-Cortez following Thursday, Maine voters will see competing political figures making their cases for the two candidates during the closing stretch of the midterm campaign. The Nov. 3 election will determine whether Collins secures a historic sixth term or Jackson ends the Republican senator’s nearly three-decade tenure in Washington.
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