Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said in a statement Thursday that he is not running for reelection and will instead travel the country to see if there is a movement to mobilize moderates.
“After months of deliberation and long conservation with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I have set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a video statement. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for reelection.”
“But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out, seeing if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together,” Manchin said.
Manchin has reportedly been “seriously” becoming an independent and said the Democrat brand has “become so bad.”
The West Virginia senator has also yet to decide if he would run for president as a third-party candidate under the “No Labels” affiliation.
No Labels is a bipartisan centrist group that plans to raise $70 million to back an independent candidate for the 2024 presidential election. No Labels has gained access to the ballot in Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, and Oregon.
Democrat strategist David Axelrod said Manchin may run for president to serve as a “graceful exit” from Congress’s upper chamber, where he could face defeat in a state that has West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R), a potential challenger, leading him by 22 percent.
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) said in a written statement, “We like our odds in West Virginia.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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