BREAKING: Joe Manchin Announces Decision On His Political Future

On Thursday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2024 for his senate seat after months of speculation about his political future. 

"I will not be running for reelection to the United States Senate, but 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," Manchin said in a video post on X/Twitter. Manchin's decision to leave the political scene in West Virginia ends his long career of public service to the Mountain State. Manchin has a long and storied career in West Virginia politics as a former member of the state Senate from 1986 to 1996, the former West Virginia Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005, the former governor from 2005 to 2010, and then serving in the U.S. Senate beginning in 2010.

Minutes after Manchin's announcement, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) wrote, "We like our odds in West Virginia." Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, making Manchin's announcement a major blow to the Democratic Party. Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who is the Trump-endorsed candidate running for Manchin's seat in 2024, will likely join his Republican colleagues in the upper chamber next year, given that West Virginia voted for Trump by double digits. Jim Justice was first elected to the governorship in 2017 and was actually elected as a Democrat. He switched his party affiliation during a rally with 45th President Donald Trump that same year.

Now that Manchin has decided to bow out of the senate race, many are speculating that he could run as the No Labels candidate in 2024. A number of third-party candidates have already announced their candidacies, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Jill Stein. A run by Manchin would likely be an attempt to win over moderates on both sides of the aisle. Per CNN, the moderate Democrat spoke to a No Labels event at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire in July, where he said, "I've never been in any race I've ever spoiled. I've been in races to win. And if I get in a race, I'm going to win."

You can watch Manchin's full statement below:

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