from an otherwise red state

Not really, his voters overwhelmingly support progressive policies.

It's just no progressive has a chance in the primary with the party blocking all of Manchin's primary opponents.

It has been on a downswing lately tho. 2016 there was more D than R voters, and 2021 it got tied up.

I do t know why everyone acts like all these "red states" are worth writing off, it really wouldn't be hard if we actually tried for them.