Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has said he is “thinking seriously” about leaving the Democratic Party and going independent ahead of the 2024 election.
Next year, Manchin will decide to run for Senate or mount a 3rd party challenge to Democrat President Joe Biden.
Speaking to West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval, Manchin said that the Democrat “brand” has “become so bad” that he wants out.
“I’m thinking seriously,” Manchin said.
“For me, I have to have peace of mind, basically.
“The brand has become so bad — the D brand and R brand.
“In West Virginia, the D brand because it’s the national brand.
“It’s not the Democrats in West Virginia, it’s the Democrats in Washington.
“You’ve heard me say a million times I’m not a Washington Democrat.”
When asked if he would go independent, Manchin said, “I would think very seriously about that.”
He continued: “I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time.
“I haven’t made any decisions whatsoever on any of my political direction.
“I want to make sure that my voice is truly an independent voice.
“When I do speak, I want to be able to speak honestly about basically the extremes of the Democrat and Republican Party that’s harming our nation.
“When I get ready to make a decision, I’ll come see you.”
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he is “thinking seriously” about leaving the Democratic Party and going independent ahead of the 2024 election.
Manchin has previously asserted that he will win if he enters the 2024 presidential race as a third-party candidate.
“I’m thinking…
— Cassandra MacDonald (@CassandraRules) August 10, 2023
Joe Manchin says he’s ‘thinking seriously’ about leaving Democratic Party https://t.co/QkdLowhrUF pic.twitter.com/HDaEtd0sc5
— New York Post (@nypost) August 10, 2023
He said of running for President against Biden as an independent with the group No Labels:
“I don’t see that favoring either side, because you just can’t tell how this is going to break.
“If come January and February of next year these are still the main contenders, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, that’s a whole other scenario.
“If they are not — and it could break between now and then — that changes the game completely.
“The bottom line is, ‘Will the middle speak up? Does the middle have a voice?’
“We could make a big, big splash, and maybe bring the traditional parties of the Democratic and Republican Party to what they used to be, back to what they should be today,” he said.
