Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is up for re-election in 2024.
However, Manchin remained silent on his plans. He has yet to announce a campaign for Senate. In fact, he has yet to endorse President Joe Biden for re-election, even after the high-profile endorsement by New York socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Ahead of a speaking gig with No Labels, Manchin is stirring concerns about a third-party run… and Democrats are running scared.
Speaking to CNN, Manchin fielded questions about whether he’d ruled out a third-party bid.
The West Virginia Democrat remained characteristically open.
“I never rule out anything or rule in anything,” Manchin told CNN, when asked whether to rule out a third-party bid. “This is just strictly a conference we’re having.”
Manchin dismissed concerns about harming Biden’s electoral prospects.
“The most important thing is, how do help democracy do what it’s supposed to do,” Manchin told CNN. “How do we help the process, the political process that we have, do what it’s supposed to do? That’s to have common-sense discussions to find out what the American people would like to see accomplished, not just basically the toxic atmosphere that we have because of political parties.”
In a Harvard-Harris survey from 2022, Manchin polled as the second choice of primary voters, with Biden himself finishing first. In other words, Manchin was polling ahead of an incumbent vice president.
The Biden-Harris administration may take note.
No Labels is a nonprofit, not a political party. The group is issuing proposals, and it has floated “an ‘insurance plan’ that would allow a Unity ticket to run for president if the two major parties select candidates the vast majority of Americans don’t want to vote for in 2024.”
On Wednesday, the group named Manchin as a keynote speaker at Monday’s Common Sense Town Hall in Anselm, New Hampshire… which is an early-voting state.
“It is clear that most Americans are exceedingly frustrated by the growing divide in our political parties and toxic political rhetoric from our elected leaders,” Manchin said in a press release announcing the speaking gig.
“Our political discourse is lacking engaged debates around common sense solutions to solve the pressing issues facing our nation. I am looking forward to modeling this type of conversation with my good friend, Gov. Huntsman, and the No Labels community. The things that unite Americans are much stronger than the things that divide us and I am confident that will be evident throughout our discussion.”
He’s set to speak alongside Utah’s Republican governor.
Joe Manchin says his event with No Labels in NH is "nothing about a third-party" bid
But he also doesn't rule out an independent bid and says of D concerns that it could hurt Biden: "The most important thing is: How do we help democracy do what it's supposed to do?" he told me pic.twitter.com/ovxYcIPkJz— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 12, 2023
The Horn editorial team