Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) finally put months of speculation to rest of a potential independent presidential bid, announcing Friday that he “will not be seeking a third-party run.”
Manchin, known as a more moderate Democrat, made the announcement during a speech in Morgantown, West Virginia.
“I will not be seeking a third-party run,” the senator said, according to the New York Times. “I will not be involved in a presidential run.”
For months, Senate Democrats have expressed concern that a third-party bid from Manchin could not only jeopardize their narrow majority in the Senate but also hurt President Biden in a potential — and increasingly likely — matchup against former President Trump.
“I think it would be very, very unfortunate if Joe Manchin decided to do that,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said last year. “He knows that if he were to step in [to…
