Sen. Joe Manchin left the Democratic party on Friday. Independent RegistrationHe condemned “partisan extremism” and lamented that “national politics is breaking down.”
“From the first day I ran for office in 1982, I have always been focused on doing what is best for our state and our country, regardless of party or politics,” the West Virginia senator said in a statement.
“But since becoming a U.S. Senator in 2010, I have watched as both Democrats and Republicans left West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism and put our democracy at risk,” he added.
“Right now, our politics are fractured, with neither party willing to compromise and find common ground. To stay true to myself and my commitment to putting country over party, I have decided to register as an Independent and continue to fight for the good majority of Americans.”
Manchin, 76, announced in November last year that he would not seek re-election to a third term in 2024 and briefly considered running for president as a third party, but ultimately decided against it.
“I will not pursue a third-party candidacy,” he told West Virginia University students in a February speech, adding that he did not want to be a “disruptive” candidate.
The centrist senator had previously said he was considering leaving the Democratic Party amid public clashes with the Biden administration over energy policy and out-of-control federal spending.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Independent, R-Arizona) left the Democratic Party in December 2022 after working with Manchin to block some of President Biden’s domestic agenda and protect Senate norms such as the 60-vote filibuster threshold for passing most legislation.
Sinema is no longer a member of the Democratic caucus and chose not to run for re-election in March.
Representatives for Manchin’s office did not respond to questions about whether he would continue to caucus with the Democratic Party or serve in elected office.
The announcement comes after the first conviction of a U.S. president, when a Manhattan jury on Thursday found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of business fraud for suppressing evidence of “hush money” payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to cover up an alleged affair a decade earlier.
Manchin, the only Democrat currently holding statewide office in heavily Republican West Virginia, did not release a statement on the ruling.
West Virginia’s Republican governor, Jim Justice, is expected to win the election to replace Manchin in November. RealClearPolitics poll aggregator A survey last year showed him outperforming the Republican candidate by double digits.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) projects that Democrats such as Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jon Tester of Montana and Jacky Rosen of Nevada will retake the Senate in 2024, with each facing tough reelection battles. According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, which includes independents Angus King (Maine) and Bernie Sanders (Vermont), who still meet with their party.
