AP Photo Democratic senators: No harm in Trump-Clinton recounts They appear more open to the Green Party-led effort than Hillary Clinton's camp.

As Republicans lob new attacks at Democrats for participating in a presidential recount bid, Democratic senators who face tough reelection fights in states won by Donald Trump say there’s no political downside to relitigating the outcome in three states.

The Democratic senators appear more accommodating to the recount effort — in public, at least — than allies of Hillary Clinton, who are irked at the million-dollar fundraising push by failed Green Party nominee Jill Stein. Most of the Democrats denied the recount would distract from their plans to craft an affirmative agenda while battling Trump, even as the GOP signals that it plans to try to hang Stein’s dead-end bid around their necks. The lawmakers are neither cheering nor trashing the effort.


Sen. Joe Manchin, recently added to the Democratic leadership team as a voice of potential collaboration with Trump, noted in an interview that “I understand this process” as a former West Virginia secretary of state — the official typically charged with overseeing elections.

“I’d like to think that all the secretaries of state I know … are really running a good election process,” Manchin added. “They want to do it, and do it right. But a person has a right to ask for [a recount]. And that’s what’s going to happen.”

Manchin faces reelection in 2018 in a state Trump carried by 42 points, making him a top target for the GOP. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Alleigh Marre slammed him for an “early showing of blind loyalty” to his party.

“When presented with his first post-election test of independence, Senator Manchin has chosen to stand by idly while fellow Democrats undermine the electoral process and challenge results devoid of evidence,” Marre said.

Stein’s campaign went to court on Tuesday to try to force Wisconsin officials to complete their statewide recount by hand, a move that could inject further costly delays into a process estimated to cost $3.5 million. Recount efforts in Pennsylvania and Michigan are more uncertain, with a court hearing scheduled for next week in the former state and a Stein petition still yet to be filed in the latter state.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), another of the 10 Democratic senators up for reelection in Trump-won states, said in a brief interview that “people are certainly free to pursue” a recount, “but obviously you have to transition.”

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a member of Democratic leadership whose state was formally declared for Trump only on Monday — by a margin only 10,704 votes out of more than 4.7 million cast — also defended the recount.

"While I have not heard of any irregularity that would affect the outcome of the presidential election in Michigan, it is the right of every candidate to seek a recount,” Stabenow said in a statement.

Some Republicans, meanwhile, are aligning with Trump aides in criticizing Clinton and Stein for squandering time and resources in the three recount states. "They're putting a stain on our state and our electoral system," Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) told CNN on Tuesday.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, another new member of Democratic leadership gearing up for reelection in a Trump state, "sees no evidence that voting machines were hacked in Wisconsin and she doesn’t believe a recount will change the outcome," spokesman John Kraus said by email. Still, Kraus said, the senator "appreciates the work of local election officials to eliminate any doubt people may have about the integrity of the vote."

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), also facing reelection in a state Trump turned red, described the recount as a reasonable way of dispelling "any doubt" about the election's outcome.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who faces voters in 2018 as part of a potentially punishing electoral map for the party, called for more scrutiny of Russia's activities during the campaign but said, "I don't have much opinion on the recount."

"We're not doing it, we're not funding it, we're not paying for it," Brown added.