WASHINGTON ― Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Friday that he has decided not to launch a run for president after all, ending months of speculation about his political future.
“I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” Manchin said at an event in West Virginia.
Manchin had been flirting with a third-party presidential bid after announcing his retirement from the Senate at the end of the year. He held several “listening sessions” with voters in battleground states in recent months, urging more bipartisan consensus in Washington and speaking about what he called a “fiscally responsible and socially compassionate” middle of America.
At an event in Ohio this week, Manchin was openly critical of President Joe Biden’s policies, calling him “so far to the left.” He has also slammed GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, warning that the former president wanted to “destroy” American democracy.
But Democrats feared that the conservative West Virginia senator would only harm Biden’s path to reelection if he jumped into the race as an independent. No Labels, which is advocating for a third-party candidate this year and has secured ballot access in several states, was hoping that Manchin or a similar political figure would join with the group.
“I think if they run a candidate, they will give Donald Trump the presidency,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told HuffPost last year of No Labels’ campaign.
A presidential run by Manchin was almost certain to fail. Polls showed him drawing single-digit support if he decided to run for president on a third-party ticket.
It’s not clear what Manchin, who is 76, intends to do now.
“I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together,” he said.
Biden’s presidential campaign thanked Manchin for his support in helping to pass key pieces of the president’s legislative agenda, like the bipartisan infrastructure overhaul and the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ big climate and health care program.
“Obviously, we’re very appreciative that the senator has been an incredible partner and one of the reasons that this administration has had a historic record of accomplishment,” Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters Friday.
“We’re building infrastructure all across America because we’ve been able to bring people together and get bipartisan solutions done. Sen. Manchin has been key in these efforts. And the president looks forward to continuing to work with the senator,” he added.
Manchin’s decision to opt against a White House run was first reported by The Washington Post.
Alanna Vagianos contributed reporting.