Joe Manchin Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who’s served in the upper chamber since 2010, announced on Thursday that he will not seek reelection.

“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,” Manchin wrote on X. “Thank you.”

“I will not be running for re-election to the U.S. 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 address.

His decision came after months of deliberation with his family, Manchin said.

Manchin would have been 77 years old at the time of the next election, which he faced challenging odds to win. As of May, polling showed Republican Jim Justice, the sitting governor, up 22 points over Manchin in the West Virginia Senate race and with a significantly higher approval rating. An Emerson college poll from October similarly had Manchin trailing far behind. In October, former president Trump endorsed Justice. Manchin has still refused to rule out a White House bid.

West Virginia is crucial to the GOP efforts to reclaim the Senate from Democratic control. The balance of power is currently 51–49. Manchin’s seat was important for Democrats to preserve their narrow majority in the Senate.

“We like our odds in West Virginia,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines told NBC News after Manchin’s announcement.

Manchin has resisted the Democratic party’s leftward push in recent years, speaking out against progressive efforts to weaken the filibuster and pack the Supreme Court. In 2022, Manchin, who has described himself as “pro-life all my life” and Catholic, voted against the Democrats’ attempt to codify Roe v. Wade into law because of concerns that it was intent on “expanding” abortion.

During the 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the bench. He was one of three Democrats to support nominee Neil Gorsuch in 2017. However, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Manchin said he was “deeply disappointed” in the justices.

“I trusted Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh when they testified under oath that they also believed Roe v. Wade was settled legal precedent and I am alarmed they chose to reject the stability the ruling has provided for two generations of Americans,” he said.

In February 2022, Manchin said vowed not to help confirm another Biden nominee for the Supreme Court right before the 2024 presidential election, insisting the country first have clarity on who will hold the Oval Office. Manchin voted for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court.

The coal-state lawmaker has also emerged as a vocal critic of Biden’s green-energy agenda. In July 2022, Manchin opposed the climate and tax provisions of a major Democratic economic package after negotiating with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for months, prompting President Biden to threaten to use executive action.

However, despite repeatedly raising the alarm on inflation last year, Manchin voted for the dubiously-named Inflation Reduction Act after he and Schumer reached a deal. In 2021, he voted for the $1.9 billion Covid “rescue plan” that likely exacerbated inflation.

“I know our country isn’t as divided as Washington wants us to believe,” Manchin said. “We share common values of family, freedom, democracy, dignity and a belief that together we can overcome any challenge.”

In his video statement, the senator reiterated the importance of working across the aisle and bipartisan compromise. Politics has devolved into a game of extremes and the growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress, he said.

“The majority of Americans are just plain worn out,” he said.

Manchin cited the major domestic problems under the Biden administration, such as towering inflation and cost of living, a border crisis that has allowed illegal drugs to flood in, an outrageous national debt, and rising crime. While he supports the U.S. assisting Israel and Ukraine in their respective war efforts, “we must prevent being pulled into a major war ourselves,” he said.