Manchin is the ‘last standing Democrat’ in West Virginia as 2024 decision looms

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has been the one Democrat whom West Virginia has despatched to Washington because the 2014 elections, however the 2024 race is more likely to be contested as Republicans search to flip the remaining seat to their management.

The centrist Democrat survived a problem in 2018 regardless of the state’s speedy shift towards the Republican Get together. Nonetheless, Manchin will not be a straightforward incumbent to take down in subsequent yr’s Senate election, ought to he resolve to run for reelection.

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Mark Blankenship, a GOP pollster within the Mountain State, cautioned towards counting Manchin out of the 2024 Senate race whereas talking to Politico.

“There’s a motive that Joe Manchin is mainly the final standing Democrat in a state that has had a pink tsunami since 2014,” Blankenship mentioned. “You may’t say that it’s unimaginable for him to win as a result of he’s received a lot.”

Manchin has not mentioned what his plans for 2024 are, however a run for reelection to his Senate seat or a run for president have been floated as prospects. He’s anticipated to make a public resolution about his 2024 plans by the tip of this yr.

The Republican challengers to Manchin are Rep. Alex Mooney (WV) and fashionable Gov. Jim Justice (WV). Justice seems to have the higher hand in securing the GOP nomination for Senate, having received overwhelmingly statewide in his most up-to-date gubernatorial elections.

After Justice introduced his Senate candidacy, Manchin put out an announcement saying he “will win any race I enter” however didn’t specify which race.

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Justice holds a major benefit in opinion polling in comparison with the incumbent senator, with a 66% approval score in contrast with Manchin’s 38% approval score. Manchin received his 2018 reelection bid by simply over 3 proportion factors, whereas Justice received his 2020 gubernatorial reelection bid by greater than 33 proportion factors.

Manchin is extensively seen as essentially the most weak Democratic senator of the assorted incumbents who’re up for reelection in 2024, with Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) additionally among the many most endangered.