Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) was firm on Monday that his future doesn’t include any more political roles — at least for now.
The Democrat-turned-independent stated he has “no intentions of running for political office” and that last week’s party switch was a long-awaited decision as he plans to become more involved in his daughter’s nonprofit centrist political group, Americans Together.
“Me identifying now as an independent, which I’ve always been independent but changing my registration so as I transition six months from now, I’m going to be helping with Americans Together and my daughter,” Manchin explained to reporters at the Capitol. “The brands are so toxic here in America.”
“I’ve been voting independently like this for the last 13 years,” Manchin added.
Manchin, 76, has served in the Senate since 2010 and is not seeking reelection this November. He still caucuses with Democrats as an independent, which allows him to retain his Senate Energy Committee gavel and helps the party maintain its one-seat majority.
Despite previously dismissing rumors he might seek another statewide office or consider a long-shot third-party run, his change in party registration has sparked further speculation. The switch happened just a day before the deadline for becoming an independent if he decides to run for any office by the Aug. 1 filing deadline.
“Our national politics are broken, and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Manchin said last week. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
Manchin told reporters on Monday that he was aware of the timing correlation and suggested it was deliberate, even as he sought to reassure the press that his time in public office is nearing its end.
“You never close any doors. I understand that too,” he said. “I’ve been around for a long time, and you never say never because you never know, especially in the toxic political world that we live in.”
Manchin confirmed that he’s standing by his endorsement of Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, the Democratic nominee for West Virginia governor, quashing the notion that he might mount an independent campaign. Manchin served as governor from 2005-2010.
One of Manchin’s key focuses as a centrist political advocate crisscrossing the country for Americans Together will be to garner support for open primaries.
“My intentions are to transition into Americans Together, trying to bring the country together, understanding why we’re limited on the people that we have on the ballot to vote for in general elections,” he said.
