Will Manchin Run For President? West Virginia Senator Fuels Speculation After Saying He Won’t Run For Reelection

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced Thursday he will not seek reelection, throwing a wrench in Democrats’ control of the Senate and refueling speculation the centrist Democrat could be seeking a third-party presidential run, a potential move that both Democrats and Republicans have seen as a threat to their parties’ hopes in 2024.

Manchin, who has indicated for months he has not ruled out a presidential run, announced in a video on X he will not run again for his senate seat in 2024, pledging instead to “mobilize the middle” as he travels across the country.

Speculation of a presidential run hit a boiling point in July, after the three-term senator announced he had raised $1.3 million during the second quarter this year, far outpacing his Republican challengers, Gov. Jim Justice and Rep. Alex Mooney (Manchin had racked up roughly $11.3 million as of mid-October, Politico reported).