MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — MORGANTOWN, Va. — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Va.) on Friday will not run for president after months of considering a candidacy that could shake up his 2024 race. announced.
“I have no intention of running as a third-party candidate. I will not be involved in the presidential race,” Manchin said in his speech. “I'm going to be involved in making sure we have a president who has the knowledge, the passion, and the ability to unite this country.”
Manchin said a third-party bid could be possible in the future, but a bid this year would be “very difficult.” He added that he doesn't want to be a “deal breaker” or a “ruiner.”
“I don't think this is the right time,” Manchin said. “We're in a really volatile situation here that could go either way. Democracy is at stake right now.”
Mr. Manchin, 76, said in November that he would not seek reelection to his Senate seat this year, leading to speculation that he would run for the White House as an independent or third-party candidate.
The centrist senator also attended an event hosted by No Labels, a political group trying to organize a bipartisan third-party presidential ticket.
As of Thursday, Manchin has refused to rule out a run for the White House, and has floated Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and former Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as running mates. I let it happen.
Democrats feared Manchin's candidacy would steal votes from President Joe Biden and boost former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 general election.
This is a breaking news that will be updated from time to time.