Manchin mulls another Senate run in 2024 despite previously saying he would not seek re-election
28 July 2021
Joe Manchin is embarrassing himself by letting Mitch McConnell play him for a chump
As he weathers criticism for his ongoing support of the Senate filibuster, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is weig hing the possibility of running for another Senate term despite previously saying his 2018 re-election would be his last.
During a recent interview, Manchin suggeste there is a possibility he'll consider running for another re-election. As the 50th vote in the Democratic-majority Senate, Manchin's input carries a lot of weight — which is why his moderate views are often scrutinized. However, it does not appear that the pressure is a deterrence for Manchin.
"You never know. You don't know. There's always a chance, absolutely," Manchin said in an interview, adding, "You better be prepared, that's all I can say. And I'm being prepared."
But could Manchin easily reclaim his seat or will he be fighting an uphill battle? According to Politico, re-election will be no easy feat for the West Virginia lawmaker. Former President Donald Trump won the state by a gigantic margin in 2020. But Manchin is confident that the "right candidate" can keep Republicans from flipping the seat.
"You get the right candidate and you have a national movement that basically shows that balance is working, bipartisanship is working and the country's going in the right direction, sure," Manchin said. "You've just got to work like hell."
Manchin's latest revelation does not come as a surprise for West Virginia's other senator.
"I'm not surprised he's keeping all his options open for 2024," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who has a relatively close relationship with Manchin. "He's a competitor. He loves the political arena."
And Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) admitted that Manchin never actually indicated to her that his current term would be his last. "He has never said to me that this would be his last term," Collins said.
"I think that he enjoys the important, critical role he's playing," she continued. "So I would not be surprised if he sought an additional term."
According to Politico, Manchin is also mulling making another run for West Virginia governor, which Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) says comes with its own unique challenges.
"It's always hard for governors to make the transition to Senate," Warner said. "I say that as a former governor myself. But Joe's in the mix on everything at this point. I've not pressed him on what his plans are, but obviously he is doing some fundraising."
This story has been corrected to reflect the size of Trump's win in West Virginia.