Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently said he would not enter the 2024 presidential race, ending speculation that the West Virginia lawmaker would run as a third-party contender. 

During a speech at West Virginia University, Manchin said he would not launch a third-party presidential campaign. 

BREAKING: Joe Manchin Not Running for President

‘I will not be seeking a third-party run,’ he said in West Virginia. ‘I will not be involved in a presidential run.’https://t.co/V2ajoQrfl2

— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) February 16, 2024

“I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” the West Virginia congressman said, saying he believes it’s not “the right time.” 

The Washington Free Beacon noted that Democrats had opposed Manchin challenging President Joe Biden for the presidency, fearing that the West Virginia lawmaker’s entrance into the race would benefit former President Donald Trump. 

In his speech, Manchin said he will focus on building up a group advocating for moderate politics, Americans Together. He added that he would be “involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together.” 

Since 2020, Manchin has served as a senator for West Virginia. He had served as the state’s governor from 2005-2010. In November 2023, he announced that he would not run for reelection in the Senate but did not rule out launching a third-party presidential campaign in 2024. 

Manchin has been an outspoken critic of Biden and Trump. The West Virginia congressman has called himself a “centrist, moderate, conservative Democrat.” 

In 2023, when Manchin announced he would not seek another term in the Senate, he said he planned to travel the country “to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.” 

In January 2024, Manchin visited New Hampshire and is now scheduled to speak in Arizona, a crucial battleground state, on Feb. 17, 2024. 

Following Manchin’s announcement that he will not run for president in 2024, a group pushing for the West Virginia congressman to partner with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) to launch a third-party presidential campaign called No Labels, welcomed the senator’s efforts to strengthen “America’s commonsense majority.” 

“No Labels is currently speaking with several exceptional leaders about serving on the presidential Unity ticket. We are continuing to make great progress on our ballot access efforts and will announce in the coming weeks whether we will offer our line to a Unity ticket,” the group’s co-chairs said in a statement.