U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., today announced he will not seek re-election.
Manchin’s name has been mentioned consistently in speculation about a third-party run for president, and he has openly dallied with the possibility of becoming an independent.
“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a statement released by his office this afternoon.
“I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate, but what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”
He added, “To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you. Thank you.”
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Manchin, who assumed office in the Senate in 2010, has been in the national spotlight as a sometimes difficult-to-get decisive vote in the 50-50 U.S. Senate.
Manchin, a former governor, has a reputation as a retail politician beyond compare. But as West Virginia’s political preferences have grown more and more Republican, his seat is viewed as increasingly vulnerable.
His seat is up in 2024, and polls showed Manchin well behind in a possible General Election matchup against Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican. Polls have shown a closer theoretical matchup against Congressman Alex Mooney, another Republican.
“We like our odds in West Virginia,” stated Senator Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Mooney’s campaign cast Manchin and Justice as birds of a feather.
“With Joe Manchin out of the race, there’s only one candidate left in West Virginia who supports the liberal Biden agenda and that is Jim Justice,” said Mooney’s campaign manager, John Findlay.
“Congressman Alex Mooney is the only true conservative for U.S. Senate who will fight back against the Biden agenda and that is why he will win the Republican primary in May of 2024.”
Justice’s campaign simply thanked Manchin.
“Senator Joe Manchin and I have not always agreed on policy and politics, but we’re both lifelong West Virginians who love this state beyond belief, and I respect and thank him for his many years of public service,” Justice stated.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican who has endorsed Justice, thanked Manchin for his public service.
“I’ve enjoyed serving alongside you— our senior senator. And as you said, we still have much work ahead of us. Thank you for your friendship, Joe. I look forward to that continuing.”
Manchin has indicated over the past several months that he has had trouble deciding whether to run for re-election or choose some other option.
“I’m having a hard time — I really am,” Manchin told The Associated Press last month. “The two-party system, unless it changes, will be the downfall of our country.”
Manchin has been associated with the effort by the national organization No Labels, which is working to get ballot access across the country. Manchin spoke at a New Hampshire event for No Labels, along with Republican Jon Huntsman, in July.
“Senator Joe Manchin is a tireless voice for America’s commonsense majority and a longtime ally of the No Labels movement. The Senate will lose a great leader when he leaves, but we commend Senator Manchin for stepping up to lead a long overdue national conversation about solving America’s biggest challenges, including inflation, an insecure border, out-of-control debt and growing threats from abroad,” No Labels stated today.
“Regarding our No Labels Unity presidential ticket, we are gathering input from our members across the country to understand the kind of leaders they would like to see in the White House. As we have said from the beginning, we will make a decision by early 2024 about whether we will nominate a Unity presidential ticket and who will be on it.”
Critics have contended that a presidential effort by No Labels is unlikely to succeed and instead could throw the Electoral College into chaos.
Rina Shah, a national political strategist and commentator who grew up in Beckley, said Manchin would be making a mistake to run a third-party campaign for president.
“The most misguided thing Joe Manchin could do now would be to seek the White House in 2024 under the No Labels banner,” Shah wrote. “That’s definitely ruin the long legacy of public service he talks about in this announcement.”
Amanda Carpenter, a West Virginian and national political commentator, suggested that if there were a path to mobilize the middle ground as Manchin is proposing then he would have done it by now. “The only way Manchin becomes president is if it’s as President of WVU,” Carpenter wrote.