West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin Registers as an Independent
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a longtime moderate Democrat, announced on Friday that he is registering as an independent. Last year, Manchin revealed that he would not seek reelection in the deep red state, creating an opportunity for Republicans to potentially flip the Senate seat. The news of Manchin’s decision to register as an independent raises new questions about his political future and ambitions.
“Our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Manchin stated. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
If Manchin decides to pursue a Senate or governor run, he must file a statement of candidacy and gather approximately 8,000 signatures by August 1 to be included on the ballot. In March, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly discussed the possibility of Manchin running for reelection as an independent, although Manchin initially expressed skepticism about the idea.
Despite this recent development, a spokesperson for Manchin confirmed that he will still caucus with Democrats in the Senate. It is worth noting that there are other senators, such as Bernie Sanders, Angus King, and Kyrsten Sinema, who are registered as independents but align with Senate Democrats.
As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Manchin’s decision to register as an independent will impact the political landscape in West Virginia and beyond. This story will be updated with any further developments.