Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) backed former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in his Senate bid, calling him “the right person” for the job.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in May to become an independent, praised the Republican for not being afraid to push back on his party.
“Forget about being a Democrat or Republican,” said Manchin, reports 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.”
The move will likely anger his former party as it’s seen as a snub against the Democratic nominee, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
This will not make Dem leaders happy — MANCHIN endorses Larry Hogan in Maryland Senate race https://t.co/T48T3kjZho
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) September 13, 2024
This is not the first time Manchin has offered praise for Hogan. Earlier this month, Manchin argued Hogan puts country before politics.
I’ll give you one person who I know who’s absolutely cut out to be a U.S. Senator, is Larry Hogan in Maryland. Of course, I’m partial to former governors because you know why, governors can’t be partisan. You’ve got, you know that pothole doesn’t have a D or an R on its name. That pothole is teeing off anybody who hits it and busts the tire or breaks the rim. Okay, we gotta fix it. And that’s what we think of.
So Larry is not beholden to Trump or the Republican Party first, it’s to the country. And he’s proven that as he’s served. And I think those are the type of people—Democrats will get mad because they’ll say, ‘Oh, Larry’s a Republican.’ No, Larry’s an American. You want quality people.
Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV): “I'll give you one person who I know who's absolutely cut out to be a U.S. Senator: Larry Hogan in Maryland.” pic.twitter.com/oC5KCLvwzg
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 5, 2024
According to a polling average from RealClear Polling, Alsobrooks is up 4.4 percentage points.