Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia registers as independent, citing ‘partisan extremism’

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Friday he has registered as an independent, raising questions about his future political plans.

Manchin has often been at odds with the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.

He had announced in November that he wouldn’t seek re-election to the Senate in the heavily GOP state, making Republicans heavy favorites to pick up a seat in their bid to retake the majority next year.

Manchin has served in the Senate since 2010. He serves as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He said in a statement that over the past 15 years he has seen both major political parties leave their constituents behind “for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.”