Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Friday he has registered as an independent, raising questions about his future political plans. Manchin, who would have faced a tough reelection in November if he had chosen to run, has long been an outspoken critic of the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.
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- Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Friday he has registered as an independent, raising questions about his future political plans.
- Manchin, who would have faced a tough reelection in November, has been a critic of the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.
- Serving in the Senate since 2010, Manchin is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
- He stated that over the last 15 years, both major political parties have left their constituents “behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.”
- Manchin emphasized that national politics are broken, with neither party willing to compromise, prompting his decision to register as an independent to fight for America’s “sensible majority.”
- His announcement did not clarify if he will continue caucusing with Democrats in the Senate, where they hold a slim majority, or if he plans to run for higher office soon.
- Requests for further comment from Manchin’s office were not immediately returned.
- In February, Manchin announced he would not run for president, stating he didn’t want to be a “spoiler” and emphasized his commitment to ensuring a unifying president is elected.
- The speech in February was part of a national listening tour Manchin launched after deciding not to seek another Senate term, expressing no interest in being a “deal-breaker” or “spoiler.”
The Associated Press has the story:
Dem Sen. Joe Manchin of W. Virginia registers as independent, citing ‘partisan extremism’
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Friday he has registered as an independent, raising questions about his future political plans. Manchin, who would have faced a tough reelection in November if he had chosen to run, has long been an outspoken critic of the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.
Manchin has served in the Senate since 2010. He serves as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He said in a statement that over the last 15 years he has seen both major political parties leave their constituents “behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.”
“Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Manchin said. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
But his announcement left many questions unanswered. Manchin did not disclose if he will continue caucusing with Democrats in the Senate, where they hold a slim majority. And he did not indicate if he will be running for higher office in the near future.
A request for further comment from his office was not immediately returned.
Manchin announced in February that he would not be running for president, saying he didn’t want to be a “spoiler.”
“I will not be seeking a third-party run,” he said in a speech at West Virginia University. “I will not be involved in a presidential run. I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together.”
The speech was billed as part of a national listening tour Manchin announced when he decided not to seek another Senate term. He told the Morgantown audience that he had no interest in being “a deal-breaker, if you will, a spoiler, whatever you want to call it.”
“I just don’t think it’s the right time,” he said then.
