On Monday morning, Sen Joe Manchin (I-WV) made his intentions clear, saying that he is not running for office, despite speculation arising after President Joe Biden announced he will no longer seek reelection.
Manchin shared his thoughts while speaking with “CBS Mornings,” though he didn’t stop from calling for an open convention in August.
“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.”
But while Biden has now thrown his support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris, Manchin did note that he’s not sure why some are afraid of having a contested primary to select the next nominee instead of just rolling into Harris.
“Why is everyone afraid to speak out?” Manchin asked.
Manchin was a longtime Democrat who became an independent in May and was speculated to be thinking about launching a campaign against Biden but inevitably decided against it.
Manchin is also not seeking reelection in the Senate this November.
As for Harris, the vice president has made it clear that she intends to “earn and win” the party’s nomination.
“Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead,” Harris said.
The Hill reported, citing a person familiar with the matter, that Harris has already hit the ground running, making more than 100 calls on Sunday to party leaders, governors, members of Congress, labor leaders, civil rights groups, and more.