Manchin says he will not seek reelection

Decision hinders Democrats’ bid to control Senate

WASHINGTON — Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a conservative Democrat known for bipartisan dealmaking and often frustrating some of his party’s most ambitious policy goals, announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection, dealing a blow to Democrats’ chances of holding the Senate next year.

Instead, Manchin, who was likely to face a strong Republican challenger to keep his Senate seat in a deeply red state, said he would continue exploring whether there was an appetite in the country for a centrist third-party bid for the presidency. That prospect has alarmed many Democrats, who fear such a run could doom President Biden’s hopes of remaining in the White House.

“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a video news release. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that 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.”

The decision was an immediate setback for Democrats’ hopes of holding a majority in the Senate, where they control 51 votes — 48 Democrats and three independents who caucus with them. Manchin was seen as the only Democrat with a chance of holding the seat.

A recent poll showed Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Republican, as the frontrunner in the race.

Behind closed doors, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, the majority leader, had been relentlessly encouraging Manchin to run again. At the same time, Democrats have been hoping that he would not pursue a presidential bid through the centrist political group No Labels, which they worry would draw votes from Biden and help elect a Republican.

“I know our country isn’t as divided as Washington wants us to believe,” Manchin said in his statement. “We share common values of family, freedom, democracy, dignity, and a belief that together we can overcome any challenge. We need to take back America and not let this divisive hatred further pull us apart.”

In a statement, No Labels said the organization would decide whether to go forward with a presidential ticket in early 2024 and commended Manchin for “stepping up to lead a long overdue national conversation about solving America’s biggest challenges, including inflation, an insecure border, out-of-control debt, and growing threats from abroad.”

Manchin was considered the Senate Democrat most in danger of losing his seat as the party navigates a difficult electoral map for 2024.

Former president Trump carried West Virginia by about 39 percentage points in 2020. Two other Democratic senators facing headwinds have announced they are seeking reelection: Senator Jon Tester of Montana and Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

Republicans immediately began claiming victory. “We like our odds in West Virginia,” Senator Steve Daines, Republican of Montana and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement.

David Bergstein, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, argued that the party remained in a strong position to hold the chamber, suggesting its candidates could pick off some Republican-held seats.

“Democrats have multiple pathways to protect and strengthen our Senate majority and are in a strong position to achieve this goal,” Bergstein said. “In addition to defending our battle-tested incumbents, we’ve already expanded the battleground map to Texas and Florida, where formidable Democratic candidates are out-raising unpopular Republican incumbents.”

Given his status as a Democrat from a deeply Republican state, Manchin was a constant source of attention on Capitol Hill. He repeatedly frustrated his fellow Democrats by breaking with them on progressive legislation. In recent years, he has enjoyed virtual veto power on his party’s agenda, given Democrats’ need to stay united in the nearly equally divided Senate.

But with his power to make or break legislation, Manchin was also known for helping broker deals that resulted in some of the most significant new laws during Biden’s presidency, often by partnering with mainstream Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

SENATOR JOE MANCHIN

The West Virginia lawmaker is considering a third-party, centrist presidential bid.