Manchin says that ‘right now’ he’s ‘not running for president’

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says that “right now” he is not running for the White House, as his 2024 intentions remain unclear.

“I’m not running for president of the United States. I can assure you of that as we sit here today,” Manchin, who is up for reelection next year, told MetroNews in a radio broadcast on Wednesday.

When pressed further on whether he has definitively ruled out a bid for the presidency, Manchin responded, “I don’t know. I think right now, you don’t know who the Democrat nominee or the Republican nominee is going to be.”

Manchin responded “that’s fair,” when host Hoppy Kercheval said he thinks the senator is still considering a running for the presidency. When asked if he was running for reelection, Manchin said he was undecided.

“I don’t know, I tell you this is what i do know. I’m gonna do whatever I can to help my state,” he said.

Manchin has repeatedly said that he does not know his plans for 2024, though he has ruled out a run for West Virginia governor, a role that he previously held from 2005 to 2010.

Republicans are ramping up plans to challenge Manchin in the deep-red state.

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) has already launched a bid to take Manchin’s seat, while Gov. Jim Justice and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are also considered potential candidates.

Manchin is widely considered the only Democrat with a reasonable chance of winning statewide elections in the Mountain State right now, so a decision not to run for reelection would be a blow to the party’s chances of keeping control of the Senate.

Another red-state Democratic senator, Montana’s Jon Tester, announced on Tuesday that he will seek another term.