Manchin bucks Schumer, throws support behind Republican Democrats want to oust

Former senator Joe Manchin is campaigning for Republican Susan Collins in Maine, backing a candidate Democrats are working to defeat and rebuking Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Manchin says Collins has an independent, bipartisan record, pointing to her work on infrastructure legislation and opposition to repealing Obamacare.

Collins is seeking a sixth term in a close race against former state senator Troy Jackson, after Graham Platner left the contest following a sexual assault allegation. Manchin’s visit comes ahead of appearances for Jackson by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders; Collins’s campaign described them as representatives of the party’s far left. Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, has previously criticised Schumer and said he wanted Republicans to win the Senate in 2024 to preserve the filibuster.