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Joe Manchin to Retire
Senator Joe Manchin, the last remaining Democrat to hold statewide office in West Virginia has announced he will not seek reelection in 2024.
The announcement is one to please both parties. It is a prime pickup opportunity for the Republicans and will end the frustrations of national Democrats who saw him as unreliable.
Published in General
I am surprised-not surprised.
Folks in this neck of the woods have been anticipating this outcome for months. WV Governor Jim Justice (R) threw his hat into the ring in April, most think with an intent to thwart Manchin’s reelection ambitions. (The career path of WV Governor to US Senator is pretty well-trod, most recently by Manchin himself.)
WV is only about eight miles down the road from me in one direction (West), and 25 miles in another (South).
He will, however, keep pretending to be a moderate.
He is 76 years old. Maybe he has the good sense to want to spend a few years away from the Washington rat race before he is called to his eternal reward. I wish that a lot of others would follow his lead, rather than going down the Feinstein/Biden road.
Joe Manchin accepts his retirement.