Maine's Senate race just got a dose of West Virginia straight talk. Former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., is traveling to Maine this week to campaign alongside Republican Sen. Susan Collins, her campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital — a move that directly undercuts Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's push to unseat the six-term incumbent.
Manchin's visit, first reported by Semafor, is scheduled for Wednesday in Androscoggin County, a politically divided swath of the state. The trip comes just 24 hours before Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is set to campaign for Collins' Democratic opponent, former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson.
In an interview with Semafor, Manchin said he "can't remember" a bipartisan effort Collins wasn't involved in, and he wants Maine voters to understand how her style of legislating benefits the state.
"She is not a Trump senator," Manchin said, pushing back on the central Democratic attack line that Collins is a rubber stamp for President Donald Trump. He called Democratic statistics showing Collins votes with Trump 90% or more of the time "bullsh*t" because those numbers include mostly Senate confirmation votes for the president's nominees.
Manchin specifically pointed to Collins' sponsorship of the Electoral Count Act — a law intended to prevent another Jan. 6-style attempt to block an election result — and her work with him on the bipartisan infrastructure package passed under former President Joe Biden.
Collins, who is seeking her sixth term, has often broken with Trump during his second term, most notably on his signature "one big, beautiful bill" legislation, which she opposed. She also opposed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's confirmation and helped tank Obamacare repeal in 2017.
Democrats, however, argue her opposition is often not decisive. Jackson has campaigned as a blunt check on Trump and has brought in progressive heavyweights including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., along with Ocasio-Cortez.
"Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represent the far left of the national Democratic Party," Collins spokeswoman Blake Kernan told Fox News Digital. "That they are all campaigning in Maine for Troy Jackson tells voters exactly how he would govern."
Collins herself released a statement highlighting her work with Manchin: "In the Senate, Joe and I worked across the aisle to tackle some of our nation's toughest challenges. Together, we built bipartisan coalitions to end government shutdowns, secure critical COVID-19 relief, and pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. We need more people in the Senate, not fewer, who are willing to put partisanship aside, listen to one another, and deliver results."
The race has remained tight after it was shaken up earlier this year when Graham Platner dropped out following a sexual assault allegation that rocked his campaign. Now, with debates concluded, the race is entering its final stage — and Manchin's visit is drawing a sharp contrast between Collins' bipartisan brand and Jackson's progressive allies.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent before retiring from the Senate, served with Collins for the entirety of his Senate career. His endorsement is a direct snub to Schumer, who has tried to paint Collins as beholden to Trump.
It is not yet known whether Manchin will endorse Collins formally or simply campaign with her. The Collins campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the specifics of the visit.
Our Take
Joe Manchin may have left the Senate, but he hasn't lost his knack for sticking a thumb in Chuck Schumer's eye. The former Democrat — who spent years frustrating his own party's radical agenda from the inside — is now using his retirement to remind Maine voters that the loudest voices in the Democratic tent aren't the only ones worth listening to.
Let's be clear about what's happening here: Schumer and the national Democrats have made Susan Collins public enemy No. 1 because she doesn't genuflect to their every demand. They've recruited a progressive stable — Warren, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez — to parachute into Maine and sell voters on a candidate who would be a reliable vote for their agenda, not Maine's interests.
Manchin's message is simple: Collins works across the aisle, and that's a feature, not a bug. The Democrats' 90% attack number is exactly the kind of misleading statistic that crumbles under scrutiny — as Manchin noted, it counts confirmation votes for Trump's cabinet, not legislation.
For patriots who value independence over party-line loyalty, Manchin's visit sends a signal that bipartisanship isn't dead — it's just been abandoned by the people running the Democratic Party. Maine voters have a choice: a senator with a track record of delivering for her state, or a progressive rubber stamp.
The question is whether Maine will listen to the West Virginia common sense or the Washington noise.
