Manchin ‘not in a hurry’ to decide on 2024, weighs in on potential Jim Justice run

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., said Wednesday he hasn’t decided whether he’ll run for re-election in 2024. But he indicated he has given some thought to a potential run against West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Democrat turned Republican who has signaled interest in the Senate seat.

“It’s going to be interesting to watch the Republican primary,” Manchin said in an interview Wednesday. “Jim Justice seems like he had a great desire. I’ve known Jim for a long, long time. And I think he’d be the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican primary if he gets in. ... I respect whatever he does, and if we end up running against each other, it’ll be a good, strong, competitive race.”

Justice, a favorite of some in the Republican establishment, has known Manchin for years. Manchin endorsed Justice’s successful run for governor in 2016, when he was still a Democrat, and Justice switched parties to become a Republican in 2017, before handily winning re-election in 2020.

The West Virginia Senate race will be one of the most closely watched in the 2024 contest. Manchin has held that seat since 2010, repeatedly defeating Republican candidates in what has become a ruby-red state. If he declines to run, Democrats may be doomed there. And the race could be key to deciding which party controls the Senate as Democrats face a difficult map.... (Read more)

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