Today West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin put out a video officially announcing that he will not be seeking reelection to his Senate seat next year.
To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you. Thank you. My statement on my political future: pic.twitter.com/dz8JuXAyTL
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 9, 2023
Manchin has been active in West Virginia politics for as long as some of our readers have been alive, having first been elected to the WV House of Delegates in 1982 before moving up to the WV Senate in 1986. More recently Manchin served as a highly popular governor of The Mountain State from 2005-2010, when he made the transition to his current seat on the US Senate.
Manchin had been seen as a longshot to retain his job in the Senate, largely because of the extreme rightward lurch that West Virginia has taken over the past few years; the odds of a Democrat winning reelection to the US Senate from a state that went 68.62% for Donald Trump in 2020 always seemed quite long, especially with current WV Governor Jim Justice already having announced his intention to run for the seat on the Republican ticket.
In his statement Manchin states that he intends to keep fighting 'to unite the middle', and many are speculating that this is a reference to rumors that Manchin has intention to run for the Presidency on a centrist party ticket, perhaps with a center-right Republican to balance out his role as a center-left Democrat.
Long live President Manchin
— Jarvis (@jarvis_best) November 9, 2023
He is going to do a pretend run for president to grift there isn’t he?
— Mre1971🙋🏻 (@mrescobar1971) November 9, 2023
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With four pro-abortion candidates running for president—Biden, RFK Jr, Cornel West, Trump—Manchin must see an opening for a moderate pro-life Democrat. https://t.co/OQFEXUdbdd pic.twitter.com/urwlwTQPFd
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) November 9, 2023
#BREAKING: Manchin is OUT. Not running for reelection in the Senate, BUT all-but hinting at exploring a run for president. #WVSen https://t.co/Ka3InZqla6
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 9, 2023
While others are pointing out that although it had seemed likely that West Virginia would be a Senate seat pickup for the Republicans in next years elections, this will basically guarantee the seat as a switch to the R column.
Dems who bashed Joe Manchin for years are now going to learn having his seat for their party was a total gift. A freebie due to his unique popularity as a former Governor. No other Dem can win there statewide right now.
— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) November 9, 2023
The realistic alternative to Manchin was never some Bernie… https://t.co/RTseeTimvz
BREAKING: Joe Manchin will not seek reelection, guaranteeing Republicans will pick up the West Virginia Senate seat https://t.co/S1BSwTkIsG
— Political Election Projections (@tencor_7144) November 9, 2023
Manchin not running for re-election in WV, nearly guaranteeing a GOP pickup. https://t.co/g92WWFIHJ0
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 9, 2023
This will further complicate the Democratic Parties hopes of retaining control of the US Senate next year, which were already complicated enough as it was.
We'll be following this story and what exactly Senator Manchin's plans for the future are.
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