Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is now an independent.
Manchin made it official Friday and posted it on X, formerly Twitter.
“My commitment to do everything I can to bring our country together has led me to register as an independent with no party affiliation,” Manchin said.
In November, Manchin said he would not seek reelection after serving in the Senate since 2010, per The Hill. He was the governor of West Virginia from 2005-10.
“Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am,” Manchin said in a statement Friday. “It’s who I will always be.”
The senator said partisanship has hurt the country.
“To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority,” he said.
Manchin, 76, didn’t indicate what his plans are after he leaves office at the end of his term. say what he plans to do after he leaves office at the end of this term. In March, he said it was no likely he would run again in the Senate.
He hinted Wednesday he would not enter the governor’s race this year.
“He said he accomplished what he set out to do for West Virginia, and the decision to not run again was ‘one of the toughest decisions of my life,’” he said.
