During Biden’s presidency, Manchin’s party said he was a swing vote in the 50-50 Senate.
Rep. Alex Mooney, a Republican from West Virginia, announced on Tuesday that he will challenge Joe Manchin for his seat in the Senate in 2024.
“The principles held by West Virginians are threatened in this country. We are causing America to become bankrupt. I want to contribute to finding a solution to that problem, “Mooney stated on Tuesday morning during a radio interview broadcast on MetroNews Talkline.
“Even though this topic has been covered extensively, I’m going to announce it nevertheless. I’m going to announce right now that I’m going to run for the Senate of the United States, “Mooney remarked. “I’m all in.”
Manchin faced his most formidable challenge in 2018 when he won by only 3%, and he could face a close challenge from Mooney as the Republican Party continues to gain ground in West Virginia. During the past two years, the moderate Democrat has been the target of criticism from inside his party due to his role as a swing vote in the 50-50 Senate.
When Mooney was sworn into office in 2015, he made history by becoming the first Hispanic person to represent West Virginia in the United States Congress. Previously, he served as the chair of the Republican Party of Maryland, where he also described a western district.
When Manchin declared his opposition to the Build Back Better plan proposed by Biden, which required his support in the Senate to become law, he garnered the attention of people all over the country. He continued to negotiate with the White House as the bill morphed into the Inflation Reduction Act, which was ultimately successful because of his vote.
Sam Runyon, a spokesman for Senator Manchin, stated that the senator is excited to face any and all opponents.
According to statements made by Runyon to Fox News Digital, “a vibrant democratic process has never been more crucial to our country,” and “Senator Manchin urges every candidate who values public service to enter the race.”
Later on Tuesday, Manchin gave an exclusive interview with Fox News in which he said, “In every election that I’ve ever run for office, I’ve had opposition from the beginning. Consequently, in light of this, I urge individuals to participate in the process.”
Additionally, Manchin stated that he had not made a final decision regarding whether or not he will seek reelection in 2024, and he declined to fully commit to competing as a Democrat in that election.
“Those are not thoughts that have ever occurred to me. In all honesty, it has not, “Manchin responded in the affirmative when asked if there is a possibility that he might run for office as a Republican. The senator continued by saying that his first concern is, “how can I assist in the defence and protection of the Constitution.”
Despite efforts by members of his party to repeal the almost half-century-old Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of government funds to pay for abortions, Senator Manchin, who considers himself to be pro-life, cast a vote in favour of keeping the provision. Despite this, Manchin expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and stated that he intended to vote in favour of legislating abortion rights.
In the most recent election cycles, West Virginia has emerged as a critical state for the Republican Party. The percentage of voters who choose Democrats for president has been continuously falling; in 2000, Al Gore received 46% of the state’s vote, while Joe Biden received only 30% of the vote in 2020.
Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, is the other senator representing West Virginia in the United States Senate. In the election held in 2020, she received 70 per cent of the vote. Since 1958, the state of West Virginia has not been represented in the Senate by two Republicans.
In September, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who had previously been a Democrat but has now turned to the Republican party, stated that it is “possible” that he will run for Senate in 2024. Manchin has not yet made an official announcement that he will be running for reelection.
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