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5 Republican Senators write joint op-eds with Democrat Joe Manchin

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for early morning votes
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.). Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has written separate op-eds with five different Republican senators in the last three days on topics ranging from the opioid epidemic to veterans' affairs and energy security — but all with a hefty focus on bipartisanship.

Why it matters: As a red-state Democrat from West Virginia, a state Trump won in 2016 with roughly 68% of the vote, Manchin's senate seat is considered one of the most vulnerable ahead of the November 6 elections.

The details: Each of the five op-eds, all published in local West Virginia outlets, are illustrative of Manchin's framing of his image in the heavily Republican state.

  1. Oct. 14: Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Manchin, both members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, published an op-ed in West Virginia's Exponent Telegram advocating for reforming the VA and strengthening veterans' health care and benefits.
  2. Oct. 14: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Manchin, both members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, call for a bipartisan approach to energy security in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
  3. Oct. 15: Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Manchin have an op-ed in the Herald Dispatch on battling the opioid epidemic.
  4. Oct 17: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Manchin penned a story in the Register Herald headlined "[The] Affordable Care Act can be fixed."
  5. Oct. 17: Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Manchin outline their "common concern" with the country's defense and military readiness in the Dominion Post.
2018 midterm elections