Sen. Joe Manchin said in November that he wouldn't seek another term in the Senate—but the West Virginia senator has now left the Democratic Party to register as an independent and analysts are wondering if his plans will change. In a statement Friday, Manchin accused both major parties of moving toward "partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy," Axios reports. "My commitment to do everything I can to bring our country together has led me to register as an independent with no party affiliation," he said in a post on X.
Manchin, governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010, was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2010. He now has several weeks to decide if he wants to run for the Senate again or launch another gubernatorial bid, though it's not clear whether he will seek either office, Politico reports. Last year, he said he had been thinking about becoming an independent for "quite some time." Manchin, who has often criticized the Democratic Party, did not disclose Friday whether he will continue to caucus with Democrats in the Senate, the AP reports. In February, Manchin ruled out a third-party bid for president. (More Joe Manchin stories.)
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