Joe Manchin III
- Independent (elected as a Democrat)
- Senator since 2010
- West Virginia
- Age: 76 years old
- Seat at stake in the elections
Why are we talking about this ?
Although Joe Manchin has announced that he will not run again in the November elections, his defection from the Democratic Party on May 31 has opened the door to speculation. As an independent, he has until May 1er August to announce his candidacy for various offices in his state.
“A person retiring doesn’t need to change their affiliation from Democrat to independent,” says John Kilwein, chair of the political science department at West Virginia University.
The politician could be tempted to regain the governorship, which he held from 2004 to 2010.
He also briefly floated the idea of running for president. After Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in the first debate, Joe Manchin had somewhat returned to the media radar. Columnist Ross Douthat of New York Timesdefended the idea of his candidacy to replace the Democrat.
Course
Joe Manchin began his political career more than 40 years ago, serving in the House of Delegates and then the Senate before becoming governor of West Virginia in 2004. “He’s done a good job as governor,” Kilwein said. “I think he sees himself as more of a centrist than he is.”
The then-Democrat politician entered Congress in 2010, after the death of Senator Robert C. Byrd.
The septuagenarian presents himself as a man of common sense, working for the people, in one of the poorest states in the country.
His keen political sense and love of the spotlight have often been highlighted by several analysts.
Mr. Manchin has previously hinted that he might run as a third choice in the presidential election, but that has not materialized.
Turning point
Starting in 2020, Joe Manchin carried the day in a 50-50 Senate; the Democratic senator from West Virginia became the lone wolf who needed convincing to pass bills.
In the event of a tie, the vice president would normally have decided. But he has not always allowed Democrats to obtain this veto.
Manchin became the dissenting voice because he won a Republican-friendly conservative state. “Not many Democrats have won a Trump-friendly state, so it gave him independence from the party,” says Aseem Prakash, a political science professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.
He also needed to demonstrate his independence to West Virginia voters. “If he had aligned himself with the party, he would have been seen as far left and that would have hurt his political fortunes,” he adds.
Controversies
In October 2021, activists paddled near Joe Manchin’s boat, anchored in Washington. Describing themselves as voters from his state, they called on him to support “Build Back Better” climate legislation.
Citing inflation, he declined to support the bill — the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee eventually voted for another version in 2022.
His refusal sparked controversy: he became a millionaire through the coal industry and received significant political donations from the fossil fuel industry.
In becoming an independent, Joe Manchin claimed that “national politics is broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground.”
Feat of arms
While he initially opposed a climate bill, the version he supported in 2022 has been hailed as historic.
The law provides billions of dollars in tax relief for a shift to green energy.
“He’s been very concerned about the working class and the unions, so now there are provisions to help American workers with electric vehicles, there are provisions to cushion inflation,” Prakash said. “And that’s largely because of him.”
He has since criticized its implementation by the Biden administration.
Mr. Manchin also voted to impeach President Donald Trump and create the January 6 Commission. The former president received 68.6% of the vote in his state in 2020.
With The GuardianAssociated Press, The New York Times