Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is “seriously considering” splitting with his party and becoming an independent, citing “extremes” in the Democratic Party and Washington brand’s “so bad” reputation in West Virginia.
The long-time West Virginia Democrat discussed his political future on the West Virginia Metro News’ “Talkline” Thursday with host Hoppy Kercheval. Manchin reflected on his political past and said he’s contemplating an independent future.
“I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time. I haven’t made any decisions whatsoever on my political direction, I want to make sure that my voice is truly an independent voice,” said Manchin.
The senator, who is up for re-election in 2022, has bucked the party line several times and infuriated Democrats with his decision to reject President Biden’s progressive agenda, like the Build Back Better proposal.
When asked about joining another presidential ticket, Manchin dismissed the concerns of some Biden allies, who worry that a third-party run from the Democratic senator could hurt the Democrats’ chances in the 2022 midterms.
“I don’t see that favoring either side because you just can’t tell how this is going to break,” Manchin said.
Should Manchin decide to become an independent, he would join Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., as the second Senate Democrat to do so within the last 10 months.
The senator is facing a fierce GOP challenge from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, and Manchin’s potential party defecting could move the seat into the swing category. Regardless of which way Manchin decides to vote, he’s vowing to continue calling out “extremes” on both sides of the aisle.
“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,” he said.
His comments come in a period of deep polarization between the parties. While the progressive and hard-left members of the Democratic Party continue to fight for bigger and more aggressive reforms, others like Manchin and Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., while critical of Donald Trump, remain skeptical of Democrat party offerings, and could distance themselves from consequences.
Only time will tell whether Manchin will pull a Sinema and split with the party, but for now, the stubborn Democrat said he’s seriously considering it.
