The Atlantic

The Kavanaugh Pressure Campaign on Red-State Democrats

Of the five lawmakers conservative groups have targeted, only one, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, is still publicly undecided.
Source: J. Scott Applewhite / AP

“You don’t vote him, I won’t vote for you.” A passerby shouted these words at Democratic Senator Joe Manchin at the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival on Monday, in a moment captured on video. “I gotcha—I’ve heard that a lot,” Manchin replied.

He probably has. Ever since President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, conservative activists and interest groups have put increasing pressure on Democratic senators running for reelection in red states to vote yes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Of the five senators they’ve focused on, only Manchin is still publicly undecided. Missouri’s Claire McCaskill,

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