Former Democrat turned independent Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) endorsed former Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan on Thursday in the state’s Senate race.
Manchin’s endorsement is a blow to little-known Democrat nominee Angela Alsobrooks, who is under pressure to stave off Hogan’s surge to flip Maryland’s typically Democrat Senate seat to Republican. If Democrats lose the seat, Republicans will likely retake the Senate with a strong majority.
“Forget about being a Democrat or Republican,” Manchin told DC News Now. “Larry Hogan is just the right person with the right attitude for the job. He’s not afraid to speak against your party, and he won’t be controlled by any party or any type of ideology.”
Manchin, who hails from a blazing red state, has been a thorn in the side of the Democrat party for years. He appeared to work with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) to tank a few of the radical measures proposed by the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022.
Hogan and Alsobrooks are in a low single-digit contest, according to polling, but only about one-third of voters know who Alsobrooks is. Hogan’s favorability numbers as the former governor are strong across many demographics, including black voters, women, and independents.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is apparently worried that Hogan can pull off the upset in the Democrat-controlled state, which President Joe Biden won in 2020 by 33 points.
The Cook Political Report marks the race as “likely D.”
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.