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Washington Post: Manchin to announce he won’t run for president, ending months of speculation

  |   By Polling+ Staff

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Joe Manchin just says no.

The Washington Post headlines: MSN

MSN

 

Manchin to announce he won’t run for president, ending months of speculation

The Post reports:

“Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is set to announce Friday that he will not run for president after months of flirting with a campaign that could complicate the 2024 race for the White House, according to a person familiar with his plans.

 Manchin is expected to make the announcement during a speech in West Virginia. The person familiar with his plans spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the remarks. 

Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has relished his influence in a closely divided Senate, has stoked speculation for months that he could enter the presidential race as an independent or third-party candidate. He has aligned himself with No Labels, a bipartisan group that has been looking into fielding a possible centrist ticket.

Manchin’s flirtations have been a source of anxiety for Democrats as they look to a likely rematch between President Biden and former president Donald Trump, already a close race in many battleground states.

The speculation about Manchin’s plans increased after he announced in November that he would not seek reelection, a blow to Democrats’ hopes of retaining their Senate majority. At the time, he said he would travel the country to gauge ‘interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.’

So the Manchin-Romney fantasy ticket will not come to pass.