Following Kyrsten Sinema’s lead, centrist Democrat Joe Manchin has officially left the Democrat Party after years of speculation that he would.
As Fox reports:
Sen. Manchin announced he is leaving the Democrat Party and has registered as an independent.
In a statement, Manchin, who is not running for re-election, said he switched his party affiliation at the West Virginia State Capitol. "From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens," Manchin said.
Manchin added; "However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave 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. 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."
Despite leaving the party, the move is largely symbolic, as he’ll still caucus with the Democrats just like his fellow Democrat-turned-Independent Kyrsten Sinema did. In other words, this won’t affect the Democrats’ Senate majority. However, the Republican running to replace him, Jim Justice, is polling as much as 67% to 23% against his Democrat opponent.
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