Joe Manchin will not run for president

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he will not mount a 2024 campaign for president.

“I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” the retiring Democratic senator said in a speech at West Virginia University in Morgantown.

Manchin has been on a national listening tour as he weighed jumping in as a third-party presidential candidate, potentially on the No Labels ticket. He has criticized President Joe Biden for being too liberal but also said that he would refuse to be part of any effort that would help Donald Trump return to the White House.

Manchin had previously set a deadline of this spring to make a decision, but he is pulling the plug now to instead focus on a new group, Americans Together, which promotes moderate politics.

Manchin announced in November that he would not seek a third full Senate term this fall, dealing a blow to Democratic chances of maintaining their narrow majority in the chamber.