Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., asks a question during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine the president's proposed 2025 Department of the Interior budget on Capitol Hill Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia says he has registered as an independent, raising questions about his future political plans.
Manchin would have faced a tough reelection in November if he had chosen to run. Manchin has long been an outspoken critic of the Democratic Party and an obstacle to many of President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities.
Manchin said Friday in a statement that over the last 15 years, he has seen both major political parties leave their constituents “behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.”
