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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Thursday that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, giving Republicans a prime opportunity to pick up a seat in the heavily GOP state.
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Manchin, 76, said he made the decision "after months of deliberation and long conversations" with his family.
"I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia," he said in a statement. "I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate, but what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together."
His decision to step down, while not totally unexpected, severely hampers Democratic hopes of holding on to the coal country seat and marks the end of an era for West Virginia, which voted reliably blue for decades before flipping red and becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s most loyal states.
For the last few years, Manchin has been the only Democrat elected to statewide office in West Virginia.