Sen. Joe Manchin changed his party affiliation from Democrat to independent on Friday, a move that suggests he may be considering another run for elected office.
The change gives the lifelong conservative Democrat the opportunity to run for the Senate or the gubernatorial race without a party label in an increasingly red West Virginia.
Manchin said he would not run for re-election and said he supported Democrat Steve Williams for governor, but running as an independent could be an alternative solution. Earlier this year he flirted with the idea of running for president on an independent ticket.
Manchin blamed the change on “partisan extremism.”
There has been speculation that Manchin, who was governor from 2005 to 2010, could make a last-minute bid for his old seat.
Sen. Joe Manchin changed his party affiliation from Democrat to independent on Friday, a move that suggests he may be considering another run for elected office.
‘Today, our national politics is broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue fighting for America’s sane majority.’
Manchin has several more weeks to decide whether to make another Senate bid or run for his old seat in the gubernatorial race.
Gov. Jim Justice, Manchin’s rival, won the Republican Senate primary and is a heavy favorite in November.
Manchin will be the fourth independent to caucus with Democrats after Sens. Bernie Sanders, Vermont, Angus King, Maine, and Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona.
Before Friday, he was the only Democrat in the state Congress.
