Joe Manchin Not Running for West Virginia Governor

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) will not run for governor of West Virginia, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

Manchin, who served as governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010, has reportedly considered running for governor against Republican Gov. Jim Justice.

Manchin said in April that being governor of West Virginia is the “best job in the world.”

If Manchin would have run for governor of West Virginia, one recent poll found that he would be an early frontrunner against Justice. A survey found that 49 percent of West Virginia voters would have backed the former governor against 39 percent who support Justice, the current governor, and 12 percent said that they remain unsure about who they would pick.

Sen. Manchin ran for reelection during the 2018 midterm election cycle against West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and beat the West Virginia Republican by three points.

Manchin’s decision not to run for governor likely serves as a reprieve for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as they would likely not hold onto the seat in a future Senate election.