Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said on Wednesday he’s not running for president “today” as speculation swirls around his 2024 plans.
Manchin, who has not yet revealed whether he will run for reelection to the Senate, told talk radio host Hoppy Kercheval that his White House aspirations could change down the line, “two years from now, a year and a half from now.”
“You don’t know who the Democrat and Republican nominee are going to be,” he said. “My goal is to bring the country together.”
He is also not planning another run for governor, he said.
As a centrist, Manchin has a powerful vote in the Senate that has forced both parties to compromise on major pieces of legislation, but he wouldn’t be the first choice of either party for a presidential nomination. He hasn’t ruled out an independent run.
“There’s nobody fighting for the middle — so where can I best fight for the middle?” he asked.
Manchin, who was governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010, could face a challenge from current Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) if he runs for Senate. Justice said he will make an announcement about a bid for Manchin’s seat by the end of February.
The Senate race is a top target for Republicans this election cycle. In a hypothetical matchup between Manchin and Justice, Justice beat him by nearly 10 points.
Justice is term-limited and therefore cannot pursue another term as governor in 2024. He teased that he is “seriously considering running for U.S. Senate.” In 2015, he swapped his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic but flipped back to Republican a year later.
Manchin is one of the three most vulnerable Senate Democrats in 2024, along with Sens. Sherrod Brown (OH) and Jon Tester (MT). Both Brown and Tester are running for reelection, and Manchin is the last to make a decision. This cycle will be a particularly challenging one for Democrats since they’ll have double the number of seats to defend as Republicans.
