Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) — one of two red-state Democrats, with Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), who has yet to publicly stake a position on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — seems to be leaning toward a “yes” vote, according to a Thursday Politico report.
Per Politico, while Manchin does not want the spotlight that would accompany being the 50th vote to put Kavanaugh over the line, he would not mind being a “yes” vote after that.
President Donald Trump has reportedly spoken directly with Manchin about the vote, which is notable given the generally laissez-faire approach he’s taken with senators during the confirmation process.
Manchin is comfortably ahead in recent polls, which likely gives him more leeway to vote his conscience than his Democratic peers who’ve found themselves in closer races and have to act with more political calculation.
