Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he will not seek reelection
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) announced Thursday he would not seek reelection in 2024, leaving the door open for Republicans to flip a Senate seat in a solidly red state.
“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a video posted to X. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for reelection to the United States Senate.”
Manchin, 76, said he would instead travel the country to gauge “creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”
Manchin, whose state strongly backed Donald Trump in 2020, repeatedly has distanced himself from President Biden ahead of next year’s election. Gov. Jim Justice, a top GOP recruit, has already announced that he will seek the seat along with Rep. Alex Mooney (R).