Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va) is seriously considering a presidential run to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, Fwrd Axis News has learned.
Manchin is considering re-registering as a Democrat and will be retiring from the Senate when he term ends in January. This is not the first time Manchin has floated the idea of a presidential bid, considering a run against President Joe Biden last year.
Earlier in the day, Manchin said he supported Biden stepping down as the Democratic nominee.
“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“I want him to be the president in the last five months of this presidency of his term, to do what he can do is unite our country, to calm down the rhetoric and be able to focus attention to peace in the world,” he added.
Since the announcement, Manchin has called for an “open process” in the coming weeks to select a replacement for Biden.
If he decides to run, Manchin would struggle to gain support from liberal Democrats, making a bid to unite the party a long shot.
Manchin is fielding calls from Democratic donors and officials encouraging him to re-register as a Democrat and run for the Democratic nomination.
