Manchin had also been the Governor of West Virginia and had won his Senate elections easily, despite coming from a generally Republican state.
He was a sensible guy – a loss to the Senate. He would have been 77 years old when he'd be running next year but is in good shape.
“To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you,” Manchin wrote on X. “Thank you.”
“I will not be running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, but what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together,” Manchin said in a video address.
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Manchin would have been 77 years old at the time of the next election, which he faced challenging odds to win. As of May, polling showed Republican Jim Justice, the sitting governor, up 22 points over Manchin in the West Virginia Senate race and with a significantly higher approval rating. An Emerson college poll from October similarly had Manchin trailing far behind. In October, former president Trump endorsed Justice. Manchin has still refused to rule out a White House bid.
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Manchin has resisted the Democratic party’s leftward push in recent years, speaking out against progressive efforts to weaken the filibuster and pack the Supreme Court. In 2022, Manchin, who has described himself as “pro-life all my life” and Catholic, voted against the Democrats’ attempt to codify Roe v. Wade into law because of concerns that it was intent on “expanding” abortion.
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