Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced this week that he would not be running for president. The former West Virginia governor made the announcement just months after stating he would not seek another term in the Senate and after significant speculation regarding whether he would mount a third-party bid.
The senator squashed any talk of a potential candidacy, saying that he would “not be involved in a presidential run.”
Manchin had been courted by the “No Labels” organization to possibly give an alternative between the Republican and Democratic Parties. As a self-described conservative Democrat, Manchin was a significant critic of the Biden administration, stating that Biden was waging a war against traditional fuel sources.
The senator also criticized the administration regarding the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill passed in large part due to Manchin’s support. However, following its passage, the White House did not expand support for oil and coal production as promised.
Manchin’s poll numbers in his home state have reduced significantly since he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act. Many conservative critics argued that the bill did not actually reduce inflation, or that any benefits would be minor and years down the line.
After months teasing a potential third-party presidential run, retiring Senator Joe Manchin announced that he will not launch an eleventh-hour bid for the White House. | @AudreyFahlberg https://t.co/N7NQuO2RLz
— National Review (@NRO) February 16, 2024
The No Labels organization also considered running former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) or Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). Previously, Manchin said that should he seek a run for the White House, he would ask Romney to serve as vice president.
Furthermore, most polling showed that when third-party candidates are included, former President Donald Trump’s advantage over President Joe Biden expands.
Manchin announced that he would not run for another term in the Senate in November saying, that he believed he had “accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I’ve made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate.”
“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,” he added.
