WASHINGTON – Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia officially parted ways with the Democratic Party and formally registered as an independent on Friday.

The move by the centrist senator comes after years of strained relations with many within his own party. Manchin, alongside another Democrat-turned-independent, Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, played pivotal roles in shaping and tempering the policy priorities of the Biden Administration in 2021 and 2022, during the period when Democrats held sway over the House, Senate, and White House.

In a statement released on Friday, Manchin expressed his disillusionment, stating that since he assumed office in 2010, both parties have neglected West Virginia and the nation, consumed by partisan extremism at the expense of jeopardizing democracy.

"Today, our national political landscape is fractured, with neither party willing to seek compromise for the greater good," he remarked. "To maintain my integrity and prioritize the nation over party loyalty, I have chosen to register as an independent, without affiliating with any party, and will persist in advocating for the sensible majority of America.

Manchin's office has affirmed that he will continue to caucus with the Democratic Party, maintaining his position as chair of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Presently, the Senate counts three other independent senators who caucus with the Democrats, among them Sinema, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Senator Angus King of Maine.


Political analysts have suggested that Manchin, who plans to retire from the Senate by year's end, might throw his hat into the ring for the governorship of West Virginia. Speaking to the Herald-Dispatch on Wednesday, he voiced his endorsement for Steve Williams, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.

Additionally, Manchin has entertained the idea of a presidential run under the non-partisan No Labels banner, although he declared in February that he would not pursue such a bid.


Manchin formerly held the position of West Virginia governor from 2005 to 2010. His impending departure from the Senate all but guarantees that the state's staunchly conservative voter base will likely elect a Republican to succeed him in the closely divided chamber.