U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin Switches From Democrat To Independent

Photo courtesy of Sen. Joe Manchin X account

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia changed his party affiliation Friday from Democrat to independent/no party affiliation.

CHARLESTON – U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, the last statewide elected Democrat in West Virginia, has abandoned the party he has supported and led all his political life and switched to independent, causing speculation about an independent run for U.S. Senate or governor.

In a press release and social media post Friday morning, Manchin announced his switch from the Democratic Party to independent, citing the political divisions in Washington D.C. between far-right conservative Republicans and far-left progressive Democrats.

“…Since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy,” Manchin said. “Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”

Manchin filed his paperwork switching parties Friday at the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office in Charleston. According to his publicly available voter registration file, Manchin has been a registered voter since 1968, with 56 years as a registered Democrat.

In a video message in front of the State Capitol Building Friday, Manchin said switching to independent would provide him a better opportunity to work with both Republicans and Democrats during his remaining seven months in the U.S. Senate.

“I can speak to both sides without having a brand, if you will,” Manchin said. “The brands have gotten so bad. If you have a D by your name, a Democrat, you’re supposed to hate Republicans. If you have an R by your name, you’re supposed to hate Democrats. I don’t hate either one, and each one is not our enemies. We need to come together as a country, making sure that both parties have opportunity to bring the best ideas to fix the problems we all face.

“The American brand is the brand that I carry proudest, and I will always do that,” Manchin continued. “I am able to do that more by being a registered no party affiliate independent than having a D or an R by my name.”

Manchin, a member of a Marion County political dynasty with long-time ties to the Democratic Party, first won election in 1982 to the West Virginia House of Delegates, later serving in the state Senate and as secretary of state. Manchin was elected the 34th governor of West Virginia in 2004. In 2010, Manchin resigned to run in a special election for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, winning reelection in 2012 and 2018.

But through much of 2023, Manchin was reluctant to say whether he would run for a third six-year term for U.S. Senate. In November 2023, Manchin announced he would not seek reelection, choosing to retire from the Senate at the end of 2024. Manchin, who has toyed with switching to independent before, briefly considered a third-party run for U.S. President through the moderate political group No Labels but announced earlier this year he would not run.

“From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics,” Manchin said. “Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens.

Manchin’s party switch comes just in time for a June 1 deadline for potential candidates for the November ballot to switch parties if considering an independent or third party run for office in the November general election. Independent candidates are required to gather signatures of at least 1% of the total vote in the last election for the seat they are seeking. The deadline for submitting signatures is Thursday, Aug. 1. Independent candidates must also file a certificate of candidacy by Aug. 1.

There has been speculation about Manchin either making a run for governor again or making an independent run for his U.S. Senate seat. There was talk by some of trying to convince Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington and Democratic candidate for governor, of dropping out and being replaced on the ballot by Manchin.

Williams has said he has no plans to drop out of the race, and Manchin told the Charleston Gazette-Mail Wednesday he supports Williams, who faces Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for governor in November.

“He is a friend, he’s an ally,” Williams said of Manchin in an interview on May 21. “We’ve been friends for nearly 40 years now and have done a lot of work together. I would be really surprised if that would happen, and I am depending upon his support.”

Manchin also endorsed and financially supported the campaign of Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate to succeed him. Elliott faces Republican Gov. Jim Justice in November.

“Senator Manchin has been nothing but supportive of my candidacy for United States Senate — including offering a strong endorsement in my primary,” Elliott said Friday afternoon. “I am very appreciative of his support and have no reason to believe he is interested in entering this Senate race. From my many conversations with the Senator, I believe he is sincere in his desire to focus his energy on unifying the country from beyond the constraints of elected office. And I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

Officials with the West Virginia Democratic Party were caught by surprise by Manchin’s Friday morning party switch. In a statement Friday afternoon, State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin thanked Manchin for his decades of service to the Democratic Party, but said he was disappointed in Manchin’s party switch, which now means there are no statewide elected Democrats in West Virginia. Pushkin also praised Manchin for opposing former Republican President Donald Trump.

“While the Senator has been one of the most independent Senators in the country, and has sometimes opposed the Democratic agenda, we’ll always be grateful for his votes to impeach President Trump, to create the January 6th Commission, and his warning that, if re-elected, Trump ‘will destroy democracy in America,’” Pushkin said.

Pushkin alluded to Manchin’s recent effort with his daughter, Heather Manchin, to create Americans Together, a national organization to promote moderate political solutions.

“Clearly the Senator thinks his new role as the head of Americans Together, an organization dedicated to bridging the divide between the two major parties, can best be served in the final eight months of his term as an independent,” Pushkin said.

While no longer a registered Democrat, Manchin is expected to continue to caucus with the Senate Democratic caucus and retain his chairman’s gavel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Manchin’s defection brings Democratic numbers in the 100-member Senate to 47, with Republicans holding 49 seats. But Democrats are expected to maintain majority control, with independent senators Angus King of Maine, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona affiliating with Senate Democrats.