West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the centrist Democratic hurdle to President Joe Biden’s spending and voting agenda, also faces intense voter pressure back home that has him squeezed on several critical issues.
If he listens to his voters, Manchin will stick to his opposition to killing the filibuster, drop his support for eliminating voter identification, and walk away from the liberal bid managed by Vice President Kamala Harris to impose national rules on state and local elections.
The advice is packed into a new survey from Honest Election Project Action, provided today to Secrets, that could heighten pressure on Washington’s middleman just a day before the Senate Judiciary Committee works on election reform and as Biden has given up his promised unity to force spending, tax, and debt votes by Democrats.
The September poll focused mostly on election reform packages in Congress, including one backed by Manchin that would allow same day voter registration, mass mail-in voting, and make Election Day a national holiday.
In the survey, 73% of West Virginians and 79% of self-identified Manchin supporters do not want Washington dictating voting laws to states. And 69% of Manchin supporters believe a politician who votes for the liberal reforms “is voting against his constituents’ interests.”
On key aspects of the new voting proposals, the percentages are even higher. On voter ID, for example, 78% of West Virginians and 87% of Manchin supporters favor voter photo ID laws. The group said that the legislation Manchin backs would eliminate voter ID.
While he may face voter wrath on his voting reform positions, it’s Manchin’s support for the filibuster that is helping him in the Mountain State.
According to the poll memo, “Joe Manchin’s political future may hinge on his continued defense of the filibuster. Leftwing activists and dark money special interests are pressuring Manchin to renege on his pledge to protect the filibuster. But in West Virginia, the filibuster is more popular than Joe Manchin. 56% of West Virginians report they would be less likely to re-elect him if he eliminates or weakens the filibuster. Six in 10 Manchin supporters (59%) would be less likely to vote for him if he destroys the filibuster.”
