Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) became the first Senate Democrat to meet with President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh Monday afternoon.
While many Senate Democrats have refused to meet the judge until Republicans agree to release documents from Kavanaugh's time in the Bush White House, Manchin has promised to give him "a fair and thorough examination."
Manchin is just one of three Democratic senators who voted in favor of confirming Justice Neil Gorsuch. He posted on Twitter last week that he holds his "constitutional duty to advise and consent on every Presidential nominee to serve on the Supreme Court" very sacred, and said he will "never immediately oppose or support a Supreme Court nominee."
I have never and will never immediately oppose or support a Supreme Court nominee to score cheap political points or advance my own career. I have and will not stop to give every nominee — whether Democrat or Republican — a fair and thorough examination.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) July 25, 2018
Manchin is one of ten Senate Democrats up for re-election in a state President Trump won in 2016. As stated by a poll from the North Star Opinion Research a majority of voters in West Virginia (55% to 30%) say they'd like to see the Senate confirm Judge Kavanaugh. The same poll shows a majority of voters in three other states Trump won with Democratic senators, Alabama, Indiana, and North Dakota, also say the Senate should confirm Judge Kavanaugh.
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), another vulnerable Democratic senator up for re-election this year, announced he plans to meet with Kavanaugh on August 15.
While Manchin has not publicy shared whether or not he will vote in favor of Kavanaugh, Republicans did inch one step closer to a smooth confirmation process Monday when "honestly undecided" Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced after meeting with the judge, he will back him.
"I have decided to support his nomination," said Paul in a statement.
With Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) unable to travel to Washington for health reasons, Republicans need unamimous party support for Kavanaugh in order to confirm him this fall.