Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) said many times during his successful reelection campaign last year that "Washington sucks." He is reportedly considering a bid to return to the governor's mansion.
Manchin was first elected governor of West Virginia in 2004. He won reelection in 2008, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 after the death of former Sen. Robert Byrd, and won his third Senate election in November.
Now he is considering a jump back to the top state office, according to West Virginia political commentator Hoppy Kercheval, who says life in the Senate is driving Manchin "crazy."
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is once again considering running for Governor of West Virginia, according to several people who are familiar with the Senator’s thinking.
At first glance, the fact that the political veteran is even contemplating the idea may be surprising. After all, Manchin won re-election to another six year term in the Senate just two months ago, and the U.S. Senate is a powerful and prestigious body.
However, Washington and Joe Manchin have never been a comfortable fit. The glacial pace of Congress, the entrenched positions and the political posturing drive him crazy. He’s a consummate dealmaker in a job where deals just aren’t done anymore.
Kercheval says many state Democrats have been contacting him about the 2020 gubernatorial run, some to encourage him to run, and some who want to run and want to make sure they won't be facing Manchin.
The state's current governor, Jim Justice, was elected in 2016 as a Democrat, but announced during a 2017 rally in the state with President Donald Trump that he was switching his affiliation to Republican.