Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday that he won’t seek re-election, announcing his decision in a video posted on social media.
“I’ve made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate, but what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together,” Manchin said in the video.
The senator has been viewed as a possible presidential candidate for a third-party group called No Labels, which has been considering a “unity ticket” for the 2024 White House race.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, announced in April that he’s running for Manchin’s Senate seat. Polls have indicated that Justice, who is term-limited as governor, would likely defeat the incumbent.
