Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) said Friday that he will not enter the 2024 presidential race, quashing speculation that he might launch a third-party independent campaign.
"I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run," the Democratic senator said during a speech at West Virginia University. Some Democrats had feared a Manchin presidential run could pull crucial votes away from Biden in a potential rematch with Trump this fall.
The West Virginia senator said he would instead turn his attention to Americans Together, a new group advocating for moderate politics, and get "involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together."
Manchin has served as senator for West Virginia since 2010 and was the state’s governor from 2005 to 2010. In November, he announced he would not be seeking reelection in the Senate but did not rule out the possibility of running for president as a third-party candidate in 2024.
Manchin, who called himself a "centrist, moderate, conservative Democrat," has taken aim at both President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump.
In January, the senator said the Biden administration’s green energy policy proposal "spits in the face of rural America." He claimed in November that Trump "will destroy democracy in America" if reelected, accusing the former president of "denigrating Americans" and "[spewing] visceral hatred" in every speech.