Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is keeping the country guessing about his political aspirations in 2024. He publicly opposed the White House three times this week and slammed President Joe Biden on the country’s climate agenda.
Manchin, who said in February that he is not currently running for president, has not ruled out a third-party ticket for the White House next year. However, he said he would not make any decisions about his political future until December. Several Republicans have speculated that Manchin is running for a political office in 2024, even if it is not for president, according to Politico.
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“He’s running for something. I don’t know what it is,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is collaborating with Manchin on legislation about college athlete compensation, told Politico.
“He’s going to put his best foot forward for a year and a half. We gotta think he’s going to run,” Tuberville said.
Manchin opposed three nominees from Biden this week, including the nomination of an IRS commissioner and the nomination of a Federal Communications Commission commissioner.
Gigi Sohn, whom Biden nominated to join the FCC, withdrew her name from consideration this week over “cruel attacks” on her character.
Manchin has made multiple moves that indicate a political future this week, including opposing three of President Joe Biden’s nominees. However, he has not committed to running for president in 2024, nor ruled it out.
(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
On Friday, Manchin said the Senate Energy Committee, which he chairs, will not move forward with Interior nominee Laura Daniel-Davis.
Manchin said his opposition should not indicate whether he will run for president or for reelection to the Senate in 2024.
“I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Manchin said.
“I’m just trying to get things implemented,” he continued. “The country desperately needs energy security. If you can’t implement a bill that basically is all about national security … it’s bulls***.”
He also claimed the White House was putting “their radical climate agenda ahead of our nation’s energy security” on Wednesday.
Republicans in both chambers have expressed a willingness to work with Manchin regardless of his political future. House Republicans, who hold the majority in the lower chamber, are optimistic about working on an energy bill with Manchin if it secures a deal that benefits them as well. Manchin has reportedly talked to multiple conservative lawmakers about energy, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
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Although Manchin is known for working across the political aisle, Republicans in the Senate are still hoping to replace him with someone from their party in 2024. So far, Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) poses the biggest threat to the Democratic senator. Replacing Manchin with a conservative senator would flip the seat red and shorten the gap between parties in the upper chamber.
Justice has not announced a bid for the Senate, but Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) has already announced he is running for the Republican nomination instead of the House.
