Senator Joe Manchin announced on Friday that he has quit the Democratic Party to become an independent, prompting speculation that he may run for governor of his home state of West Virginia.
Mr. Manchin, the final Democrat in a statewide post, said in November that he would not seek re-election. On Friday, he released a statement announcing his decision.
Related posts
“Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship, and my desire to bring people together,” he stated. “This is who I am. This is who I will always be. I’ve never viewed America through a partisan prism.
Mr. Manchin condemned extremism on all sides of the political spectrum.
“Today, our national politics are broken, and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” he stated. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
He had earlier considered running for president as an independent or as part of No Labels, a centrist movement that advocated for a bipartisan unity ticket. Some have hypothesized that Mr. Manchin could run for governor as an independent. Inside Elections’ Nathan Gonzales noted on X that unaffiliated candidates must file on August 1.
However, earlier this week, he told The Herald-Dispatch that he would endorse Democratic nominee Steve Williams.
Mr. Manchin was frequently the most conservative senator in the Democratic caucus, alongside Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who became an independent in 2022.
The two frequently opposed large spending measures, and Mr. Manchin stated on Fox News that he opposed Build Back Better, President Joe Biden’s massive social spending program. Mr. Manchin is from West Virginia, a state where every county voted for Donald Trump and has traditionally relied on the coal sector.
Prior to his political career, the two-term governor gained his Senate seat in a special election in 2010. He co-founded Enersystems, a coal mining company. Many progressive activists accused him of being overly favorable to the energy industry that dominated his state.
Later, Mr. Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer crafted the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest piece of climate change legislation. However, Mr. Manchin frequently objected to the legislation’s implementation.
