Joe Manchin won't seek reelection in 2024, dealing blow to Dems' Senate map

Joe Manchin will not seek reelection to the Senate, a move that essentially cedes his seat to the GOP in deep-red West Virginia and removes one of Congress' most prominent centrist voices in either party.

The Mountain State Democrat won his seat in 2010 and hung on since then thanks to a moderate brand that's given him one of his party's most conservative records. As he prepared to face popular West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) in a potential Senate race next fall, however, the incumbent senator decided to pack it in after reaching the peak of his influence over the last three years.

"I have 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,” Manchin said in a video statement on Thursday afternoon that jolted Capitol Hill.

Manchin has repeatedly declined to rule out a third-party run for president, possibly on a ticket funded by the deep-pocketed group No Labels. He indicated that he may not be leaving the political scene entirely, saying that he will be "traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle."