He has clearly had enough.
Senator Joe Manchin has left the Democratic Party to register as an independent, citing frustration with “partisan extremism” and the dysfunction of “national politics.”
In a statement, the West Virginia senator expressed his longstanding commitment to prioritizing the interests of his state and country over party politics. “Since beginning my public service in 1982, my focus has always been on what is best for West Virginia and the United States,” Manchin said. “But since joining the U.S. Senate in 2010, I have watched both major parties abandon West Virginia and the nation in favor of partisan extremism, endangering our democracy.”
Manchin believes that the current political climate is broken, with neither party willing to seek compromise. To remain true to his principles and his commitment to placing the country above party politics, he decided to register as an independent and continue advocating for what he calls America’s sensible majority.
At 76, Manchin had previously announced in November that he would not seek re-election for a third full term in 2024. He briefly considered, but ultimately ruled out, a third-party presidential run. Speaking to students at West Virginia University in February, he said he did not want to act as a “spoiler” candidate.
The senator’s decision to leave the Democratic Party follows his public disagreements with the Biden administration over issues like energy policy and federal spending. His move mirrors that of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who left the Democratic Party in December 2022. Both senators have been obstacles to parts of President Biden’s domestic agenda, supporting the maintenance of the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold for most legislation.
Sinema, who no longer caucuses with the Democrats, decided not to run for re-election in March. Manchin’s office has yet to clarify whether he will continue to caucus with the Democrats as an independent.
This announcement coincides with the unprecedented conviction of former President Donald Trump, who was found guilty on 34 counts of business fraud by a Manhattan jury. The charges stem from allegations of “hush money” payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Manchin, the sole Democrat holding a statewide office in the heavily Republican West Virginia, did not comment on the verdict. Meanwhile, Republican Governor Jim Justice is expected to succeed Manchin, with polls showing him leading significantly over the incumbent last year.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) anticipates regaining control of the Senate in 2024. Vulnerable Democratic senators, including Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, Montana’s Jon Tester, and Nevada’s Jacky Rosen, face challenging re-election campaigns according to the Cook Political Report. The Democrats currently hold a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, factoring in independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucus with them.
