WASHINGTON (AP) — West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he has registered as an independent candidate, raising questions about his future political plans.
Manchin, who would have faced a tough re-election in November had he decided to run, has long been a vocal critic of the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.
Manchin has been in the Senate since 2010. He serves as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He said in a statement that over the past 15 years, he has seen both major political parties abandon their voters “for partisan extremism, threatening our democracy.”
“Today, our national politics is fractured, and neither party is willing to compromise to build consensus,” Manchin said. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent candidate with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
But his announcement left many questions unanswered. Manchin did not reveal whether he would continue to work closely with Democrats in the Senate, where they have a slim majority. He did not indicate whether he would run for higher office in the near future.
A request for further comment from his office was not immediately returned.
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