West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin switches parties and registers as an Independent

[LudwigPastorius]

59. He's probably running for something.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/politics/joe-manchin-independent-not-running/index.html

CNN
—
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Monday he’s “not running for any office” after registering as an independent over the Memorial Day recess, but he didn’t completely rule out the possibility.

“I’m not running for any office, political office. I’ve been very clear about that,” the senator told CNN’s Manu Raju, insisting that his decision to become an independent had nothing to do with running for Senate or governor ahead of the August 1 filing deadline.

But pressed on whether he was closing the door on a future run, he added, “I have not – I never leave any, you never leave any political opportunity and walk away from that, so you always have options, because life is full of surprises. But I have no intention of running for political office.”

Manchin, whose announcement last year that he wasn’t seeking reelection was a political gift to Republicans hoping to flip the Senate, noted that he had informed President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of his decision to leave the party before he did so.