While initial reports suggested that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin was considering a run at the White House now that Biden has bowed out, the official word from Manchin is he’s not interested.
Manchin officially commented during an appearance on CBS Monday morning, in which he stressed the importance of more moderate positions in Washington.
“Joe Biden came out of a very contested primary in 2020 and he rose because he was that moderate figure. He always operated in the middle. He could make a deal with people on the right and the left,” Manchin said.
Manchin argued that not holding a primary would be a mistake, but it was already “predetermined.”
“I believe it would help strengthen Kamala and her position too,” he added. “But that’s already been predetermined, so we’ll see what happens. I think it’s a mistake, but it’s one that they have made.”
Manchin directly confirmed he is “not running for office.”
“I’m not running for office,” Manchin said. “I’m not going to be a candidate for president … I don’t need that in my life,” he said before calling for a contested primary.
Watch the clip below:
Sen. Joe Manchin tells CBS Mornings he will not run for the Democratic nomination against VP Harris.
"I am not going to be a candidate for president," Manchin said. But he said he would like to see a competitive process to choose the nominee. https://t.co/3YTpiD0gOE pic.twitter.com/fQPvGjaugu
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 22, 2024