Former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin threw his support on Monday behind Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers as Rogers vies to be Michigan’s next senator.
“I do support Mike Rogers,” Manchin said on CNBC, when pressed on why he had not yet endorsed Rogers. “I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job.”
Manchin, a former Democrat-turned-independent, answered “no” when asked whether he would be okay with Rogers’s opponent, Democrat Abdul el Sayed, winning the general election. Rogers and el Sayed are locked in a toss-up U.S. Senate race in Michigan.
El Sayed has led Rogers in much of the polling, but recent surveys have shown his edge tightening within marginal differences, with one survey showing Rogers ahead. Manchin also endorsed incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in her race in Maine during his CNBC appearance.
“I support Susan Collins, I’m voting Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski,” referring to the Alaska senator who is not up for reelection this year. “These are basically independent, free-thinking Republicans. Not completely crazy right or completely crazy left.”
When asked if he believes Rogers has a chance in Michigan, Manchin answered in the affirmative and opined that the GOP candidate should say he is “all for Michigan” and support free trade over tariffs if he wants to win the seat.
In an interview with Fox News over the weekend, Rogers gave a more nuanced answer to his stance on President Donald Trump’s tariffs, saying, “If there’s a tariff that’s working against us, I’m gonna be against it. If there is a tariff that’s working for us, I’m going to be for it.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to both Rogers’s and el Sayed’s campaigns for comment.
MIKE ROGERS ACCUSES ABDUL EL SAYED OF WANTING TO ‘REPRESENT PALESTINE’ OVER MICHIGAN
Rogers and el Sayed are facing off to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in the upper chamber. El Sayed is not himself a member of the Democratic Socialists of America party, but is endorsed by several socialist politicians and commentators.
The Wolverine State currently has two Democratic U.S. Senators and a Democratic governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), but voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections. Rogers, whom Trump has endorsed, lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in 2024 by less than 20,000 votes.