Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that he would not seek re-election, dealing a significant blow to Democrats and allowing Republicans to flip the state's Senate seat.
Manchin is known for bipartisan deal-making and for frustrating some of his party's most ambitious policy goals. The senator said he plans to continue exploring whether or not there was an appetite in the country for a centrist third-party bid for the presidency.
Joe Manchin's Senate Plans
That prospect has already caused alarm among many Democratic lawmakers who fear that such a run would doom President Joe Biden's hopes of remaining in the White House. The 76-year-old senator said his decision comes after months of deliberation and long conversations with his family.
He added that he believes in his 'heart of hearts" that he has already accomplished what he set out to do for his state. Manchin also said that he made one of the most challenging decisions of his life, which is not to run for re-election to the United States Senate, as per the New York Times.
The senator said that he would instead be traveling the country and would speak out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and unite Americans. Manchin's decision was an immediate setback for Democratic lawmakers who hoped to hold a majority in the Senate.
In a recent poll, West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice is seen as a front-runner. New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and the majority leader had relentlessly encouraged Manchin to run again during meetings behind closed doors.
At the same time, other lawmakers from the left have been hoping that Manchin would not pursue a presidential bid through the centrist political group No Labels. They worry that this would draw votes from Biden and help elect a Republican to the presidency.
Flipping the West Virginia Senate Seat
Currently, the Democratic Caucus controls the chamber with a narrow 51-49 margin and Manchin's decision to not run for re-election complicates the situation. This is because the left would have to defend seats in other competitive states, according to CNN.
The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, said he and his colleagues like their odds in West Virginia. It is still unclear what Manchin will do after leaving Capitol Hill.
There are many Republicans who have been eyeing Manchin's seat, including Rep. Alex Mooney, who jumped into the race less than two weeks after winning his fifth term in the House in November 2022. Justice joined the Senate race with Donald Trump's endorsement earlier this year.
In a Thursday statement, Justice said that he and Manchin have not always agreed on policy and politics but noted that they are both lifelong West Virginians who love the state. He respected and was grateful to the senator for his many years of public service.
A draft committee is pushing for a Manchin-Romney ticket and is planning to launch publicly next week along with a new website known as "America Back on Track," said Yahoo News.
