Joe Manchin | |
---|---|
United States Senator from West Virginia | |
In office November 15, 2010 – January 3, 2025 | |
Preceded by | Carte Goodwin |
Succeeded by | Jim Justice |
Chair of the Senate Energy Committee | |
In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 | |
Preceded by | Lisa Murkowski |
Succeeded by | Mike Lee |
Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee | |
In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Maria Cantwell |
Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
Chair of the National Governors Association | |
In office July 11, 2010 – November 15, 2010 | |
Preceded by | Jim Douglas |
Succeeded by | Christine Gregoire |
34th Governor of West Virginia | |
In office January 17, 2005 – November 15, 2010 | |
Lieutenant | Earl Ray Tomblin |
Preceded by | Bob Wise |
Succeeded by | Earl Ray Tomblin |
27th Secretary of State of West Virginia | |
In office January 15, 2001 – January 17, 2005 | |
Governor | Bob Wise |
Preceded by | Ken Hechler |
Succeeded by | Betty Ireland |
Member of the West Virginia Senate | |
In office December 1, 1986 – December 1, 1996 | |
Preceded by | Anthony Yanero |
Succeeded by | Roman Prezioso |
Constituency |
|
Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 31st district | |
In office December 1, 1982 – December 1, 1986 | |
Preceded by | Clyde See |
Succeeded by | Duane Southern |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Anthony Manchin III August 24, 1947 Farmington, West Virginia, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic (until 2024) Independent (2024–present) |
Spouse | |
Children | 3, including Heather |
Relatives | James Manchin (uncle) |
Education | West Virginia University (BBA) |
Signature | |
Website | Senate website |
Joseph Anthony Manchin III (/ˈmæntʃɪn/ MAN-chin; born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator from West Virginia from 2010 to 2025. He was West Virginia's only congressional Democrat until he registered as an independent in 2024. Manchin served from 2005 to 2010 as the 34th governor of West Virginia and from 2001 to 2005 as the 27th secretary of state of West Virginia. Before entering politics, he co-founded and was president of Enersystems, a coal brokerage company his family owns and operates.[1]
Manchin won the 2004 West Virginia gubernatorial election by a large margin and was reelected by an even larger margin in 2008. He won the 2010 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by incumbent Democrat Robert Byrd's death with 53.5% of the vote, and in 2012 was elected to a full term with 60.6% of the vote. Manchin won a second term in 2018 with 49.6% of the vote. In all his Senate elections, he drastically outperformed Democratic presidential nominees in the state. Manchin represented what was by a significant margin the most Republican-leaning constituency of any Democrat or independent in Congress during his tenure.[2][3]
Manchin has called himself a "centrist, moderate, conservative Democrat" and was generally regarded as the Senate Democratic caucus' most centrist member.[4] He opposed President Barack Obama's energy policies, including reductions and restrictions on coal mining; voted against cloture for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 (not voting on the bill itself); supported President Donald Trump's border wall and immigration policies; and voted to confirm most of Trump's cabinet and judicial appointees, including Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.[5][6] On the other hand, Manchin voted against repeated attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, voted to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials, voted against Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and was a Senate sponsor of the Inflation Reduction Act.[7] He is among the more non-interventionist members of the Democratic caucus, having repeatedly called for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and opposed most military interventions in Syria.[8][9]
After the 2020 elections, Manchin became a key swing vote in the Senate, which was split 50–50 between Democrats and Republicans but controlled by Democrats because Vice President Kamala Harris was the tiebreaker.[10] Since passing legislation with only Democratic support required Manchin's vote, he wielded a large influence in the 117th Congress.[11] During the 118th Congress, he was considered a key swing vote in the Senate, alongside Kyrsten Sinema.[12][13] In November 2023, Manchin announced he would not run for reelection to the Senate. In 2024, he left the Democratic Party to become an independent,[14] and later announced that he would not run for any office, ending speculation that he would be a candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election.[15]
As of 2025, Manchin remains the most recent official affiliated with the Democratic Party to hold statewide office in West Virginia.
Able To
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).WVMN1082018
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).CNN9142014
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).