After years of speculation, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election in 2024—instead teasing the possibility of exploring a third party presidential campaign.
“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,” Manchin said in a videotaped message posted to social media.
While Manchin managed to survive in his deeply conservative and pro-Trump home state in 2018, he faced daunting odds for a 2024 re-election that was poised to pit him against the popular Gov. Jim Justice (R).
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The senator's decision all but ensures Republicans will flip the state next year, bringing them one essential seat closer to a Senate majority.
First elected in 2010, Manchin became the last West Virginia Democrat on Capitol Hill in 2015.
However, the 76-year old senator is far from done with politics. In fact, he might have his ambitions set on an even higher office: president.
Since the beginning of the year, Manchin has openly flirted with the idea of running a third party presidential campaign, possibly under the banner of No Labels, the deep-pocketed centrist group which has pledged to field an alternative to President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
In recent months, Manchin has traveled to New Hampshire for events with No Labels and has repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility of a presidential run.
In his video announcement, Manchin did not provide specifics but clearly indicated he would be exploring the idea.
“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 said.
If Manchin were to pursue such a campaign, it might serve as a fitting coda for his career in the Senate, particularly during the Biden era, which saw him frustrate the party establishment to no end.
Often acting the decisive vote in a period of closely divided Senate chambers—or evenly divided, as was the case in 2021 and 2022—Manchin fully embraced his power to make or break Democrats' agenda.
Along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Manchin scuttled Democratic hopes of ending the Senate filibuster and passing a sweeping, multi-trillion dollar social safety net expansion under Biden. He did ultimately have an outsized role shaping the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden's marquee achievement, and its provisions on climate change and energy.
In his video remarks, Manchin paid tribute to his style of centrist dealmaking—and possibly previewed how it might sound on the campaign trail.
“Every incentive in Washington is designed to make our politics extreme,” he said. “The growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress and worsening our nation's problems.”
“I know our country isn't as divided as Washington wants us to believe,” he continued. “We share common values of family, freedom, democracy, dignity, and I believe that together, we can overcome any challenge we need to take back America and not let this divisive, hatred further pull us apart.”
