(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., announced on Friday that he is no longer a member of the Democratic Party, effective immediately.
“My commitment to do everything I can to bring our country together has led me to register as an independent with no party affiliation,” Manchin wrote Friday on Twitter.
In a separate statement, he added, “To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
My commitment to do everything I can to bring our country together has led me to register as an independent with no party affiliation. pic.twitter.com/tvMB2N87AW
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) May 31, 2024
Manchin is the second Democrat to leave the party since the 2022 election, following Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who switched parties citing the DNC’s shift to the far left.
Sinema is now an Independent and won’t seek re-election for her senate seat. Similar to Sinema, Manchin had announced his intent not to seek re-election.
Political observers had predicted that the West Virginian senator might run for president, either as an Independent or in the Democratic primary against President Joe Biden.
According to NBC News, Manchin has until Aug. 1 to register as an Independent presidential candidate in the state’s ballots.
However, Manchin declared his intention not to seek the nation’s highest public office.
“I will not be seeking a third-party run,” he told an audience at West Virginia University.
“I will not be involved in a presidential run,” the senator added. “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.”
