MANCHESTER, N.H. — One of the organizers of a New Hampshire political event coming up next month said he’s looking forward to hearing what U.S. Senator Joe Manchin has to say about his vision for the country.
Neil Levesque, director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, said organizers asked Manchin to come to the Jan. 12 “Politics & Eggs” event in Manchester after he announced he would not be seeking reelection next year.
“This is a place where there’s going to be a lot of action coincidentally with the New Hampshire Primary coming up, so when he’s here there will be a lot of media attention, there will be a lot of people here engaged in politics,” Levesque said last week on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Manchin has said previously that he’s in search for the middle. He’s not said that he plans on running for president in 2024.
“I start in January, I’ll be two months on the road. And all we’re trying to do is just mobilize people like myself who feel like they’re homeless, politically homeless,” Manchin said at an event hosted by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month.
Levesque said it’s the residents of New Hampshire that play a large role in the “Politics & Eggs” event. He said those speaking, like Manchin, will field several questions.
“They take questions and then they take follow-up questions,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why the media loves New Hampshire. It’s not a state where you can hide behind a teleprompter.”
Levesque said he expects Manchin to talk his future and what he wants to do for the U.S.
“I think it’s a place where people are going to ask those questions and they’ll get some answers from him,” Levesque said.
The event links Manchin’s appearance to “Americans Together,” described as “a new organization that is creating a platform for the middle to connect and empower moderate voices around the country.”
Manchin and his daughter Heather have been pitching wealthy political donors on supporting a centrist political group with a goal of raising $100 million.
“Their goal is to build a bridge between popular will and political outcomes,” wrote the organizers of the Politics & Eggs event.
When asked on “Talkline” if there is a “middle” in New Hampshire that could get behind Manchin, Levesque said the state is independently-minded.
“We have more undeclared voters than people who are voted in parties in New Hampshire,” he said. “We’re sort of renowned for the fact that the party extremes really do not command the elected offices in New Hampshire.”
The New Hampshire Primary is Jan. 23.
MetroNews Statewide Correspondent Brad McElhinny contributed to this story.