CHARLESTON – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin no long has a “D” after his name.
Manchin released a statement May 31 saying he has left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent. He said he has been considering the switch for months.
“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, 76, 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.
“However, 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. 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 joins other independent U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Angus King of Maine and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. All four of them caucus with Democrats, so they still contribute to the Democratic majority and control of committees.
Earlier this year, Manchin announced he would not seek another Senate term. Gov. Jim Justice won the Republican primary for that seat, and Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott is the Democratic nominee. With the switch, Manchin would need to start a petition to run as an independent for Senate.
Independents have until August 1 to gather signatures of 1 percent of voters cast in the last race for the seat, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office. If he does so, Manchin had to swear he had not been affiliated with another party for 60 days before that date, so switching to independent today makes that possible.
Manchin expanded on his decision in a social media post.
“My commitment to my great country has been doing everything I can to make sure that we can survive as a representative form of democracy, of government that we have, that the people are in control of, not the party systems,” he said in the video recorded outside of the state Capitol. “And today, for me to be able to fulfill that, I have changed my registration to being a no party affiliation independent.
“My reason for that is I can speak to both sides without having a brand, if you will. 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 they’re not our enemies. Each one are not the enemy.
“We need to come together as a country making sure that both parties have opportunities to bring the best ideas to fix the problems that we all face. We can do that, but only as one country.
“The American brand is the brand that I carry proudest and I will always do that. I’m able to do that more by being a registered no party affiliate independent than having a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ by my name. So, I look forward to working with you in a future. I look forward to being involved in trying to help people understand how we can fix a broken system at the political parties have taken control of.”
Rumors also have surfaced putting Manchin in the mix for the governor’s seat. Current state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is the Republican nominee, and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is the Democratic candidate.
Manchin was governor from 2004 to 2010, and he is a longtime friend of Williams.
West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin said he was disappointed Manchin was leaving the party.
“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 in a press release. “We’d like to thank Senator Manchin for expressing his wholehearted support for Huntington Mayor Steve Williams’ campaign for governor against Patrick Morrisey just two days ago.
“In his endorsement of Mayor Williams, Senator Manchin said, ‘My support is with Steve Williams. He’s been a friend of mine for 40 years. I know how good he is, how competent he is, and I know how hard he’ll work.’
“The Senator’s support shows the appeal Steve Williams has across the political spectrum.”
Pushkin also noted Manchin’s history of being a middle-of-the-road senator. That quality has thrust him into the national spotlight in recent years, sometimes being the deciding vote in the split U.S. Senate.
“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. “Regardless of the party affiliation or non-party affiliation of any politician, the West Virginia Democratic Party will continue to fight for our basic core values. The right to earn a living wage, safety in the workplace, quality schools, affordable health care and reproductive freedom for all citizens.”