Former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said Monday that he supports Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely contested Senate race and does not want Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to win the seat.
During an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Manchin initially resisted describing his position as a formal endorsement. Co-host Joe Kernen asked whether he had endorsed Rogers, a former Michigan congressman and longtime friend.
“No, I’ve not endorsed anybody,” Manchin said.
But when Kernen asked whether he was comfortable with El-Sayed becoming a senator, Manchin gave a more direct answer.
“No,” Manchin replied.
Kernen then pressed him to endorse Rogers.
I’m thankful to have the support of a true patriot, former Sen. @JoeManchinWV. pic.twitter.com/86rjVxkaXN
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) September 14, 2026
“Well, no, no — I do support Mike Rogers. I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job,” Manchin said, according to Mediaite.
The former West Virginia senator also said he would campaign for Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and praised Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as lawmakers willing to break with their party.
“I support Susan Collins,” Manchin said. “I’m going to — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski. These are basically independent, free thinking Republicans — not crazy, not completely crazy right or completely crazy left.”
Manchin left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent shortly before retiring from the Senate in 2025. Since then, he has criticized the two-party system and promoted candidates he considers willing to work across party lines.
“Oh, I’m backing whoever’s the best candidate right now,” Manchin said. “Susan Collins. I’m going to go campaign for Susan Collins — there’s not a better person.”
His support gives Rogers a prominent cross-party ally in one of the country’s most competitive Senate contests. Rogers and El-Sayed are running for the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The election could help determine control of the Senate.
Rogers previously served seven terms in the House, where he chaired the Intelligence Committee. He also served in the Army and worked as an FBI agent. He narrowly lost Michigan’s other Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024 before launching another campaign with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
El-Sayed, a physician and epidemiologist who previously led Detroit’s health department, defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary in August. He is running as a progressive and supports Medicare for All. If elected, he would become the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate, according to the Associated Press.
The race remains close. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows El-Sayed at 46.5% and Rogers at 44.7%, a 1.8-point Democratic advantage. RealClearPolitics rates the contest a toss-up.
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