West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin leaves Democratic party, registers as independent

WASHINGTON – Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia officially left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent on Friday.

The pivot by the centrist senator follows years of a fraught relationship with many members of his own party. Manchin and another Democrat-turned-independent, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, were key players in shaping and curtailing Biden Administration policy priorities in the 2021 and 2022, when Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House.

Manchin said in a statement Friday that since he became a senator in 2010, both parties have left "West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy."

"Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground," he said. "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."

Manchin's office confirmed that he will still caucus with the Democratic Party, retaining his seat as chair of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The Senate currently has three other independent senators that caucus with the Democrats, including Sinema and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine.

Political observers have speculated that Manchin, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, may enter the governor's race in West Virginia. He told the Herald-Dispatch Wednesday that he supports Steve Williams, the Democratic nominee for governor.

He has also toyed with running for president on the non-partisan No Labels ticket, before announcing in February that he would not mount a presidential bid.

Manchin previously served as West Virginia governor from 2005 to 2010. His retirement from the Senate virtually ensures the state's deeply conservative voter base replaces him with a Republican in the narrowly-divided chamber.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Manchin leaves Democratic party, registers as independent