Rivals Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joe Manchin are campaigning in Maine this week as polls show a tight U.S. Senate race between Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson. Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic New York representative, and Manchin, a former Democratic and independent West Virginia senator, were the faces of the ideological clash that has defined the Democratic Party in the past few years—with Ocasio-Cortez emerging as a leading progressive voice and Manchin one of the most moderate members of the party before leaving it in May 2024.
This week, both will be in Maine, campaigning for opposing candidates in the November 3 midterm elections. Manchin will be rallying for Collins in the politically moderate Androscoggin County, home to Lewiston, on Wednesday, while Ocasio-Cortez will join Jackson in Portland, the state’s largest city and a progressive stronghold, on Thursday. Newsweek reached out to the Collins and Jackson campaigns for comment via email.
The campaign appearances come as the Maine race remains one of the most important of the midterms. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, so Democrats must flip four seats to win control of the chamber, as Vice President JD Vance serves as the tiebreaker vote. Democrats view Collins as one of the most vulnerable Senate Republicans, as she represents a state that President Donald Trump lost in all three of his presidential races, including by 7 points in 2024.
The national environment has soured for Republicans as Trump’s approval rating slips and voters become increasingly frustrated with the economy. However, Collins is still a formidable opponent. She has defied the state’s partisan lean in the past due to her personal popularity, bipartisan image and position as chair of the Appropriations Committee.
If Democrats fail to flip the seat, their path to a majority would narrow, and they would have to make up for the loss in a more conservative state. Manchin and Collins were allies while he was in the Senate despite being in opposing parties. Both were seen among the most politically moderate members and established a friendship over the years.
Manchin has endorsed Collins in the past. He told The New York Times that he had never worked with a “more centrist, independent-minded person” than Collins. Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, is set to attend the “Students vs.
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