Joe Manchin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Senator fromWest Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office November 15, 2010 – January 3, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Carte Goodwin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jim Justice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chair of theNational Governors Association | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 11, 2010 – November 15, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jim Douglas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Christine Gregoire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 34thGovernor of West Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 17, 2005 – November 15, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant | Earl Ray Tomblin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Bob Wise | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Earl Ray Tomblin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27thSecretary 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 theWest Virginia Senate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 1, 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Anthony Yanero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Roman Prezioso | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency |
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| Member of theWest 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 (1947-08-24)August 24, 1947 (age 78) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Independent (2024–present) Democratic (before 2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Senate Democratic Caucus (2010–2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, includingHeather | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | James Manchin (uncle) Mark Manchin (cousin) Tim Manchin (first cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | West Virginia University (BBA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Senate website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joseph Anthony Manchin III[1][2] (/ˈmæntʃɪn/MAN-chin; born August 24, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician who served as aUnited States senator fromWest Virginia from 2010 to 2025. From 2015 until he registered as an independent in 2024, he was West Virginia's only congressionalDemocrat. Manchin served from 2001 to 2005 as the 27thsecretary of state of West Virginia and from 2005 to 2010 as the 34thgovernor of West Virginia. Before entering politics, he co-founded and was president of Enersystems, his family-owned and operated coal brokerage company.[3][4][5]
Manchin won the2004 West Virginia gubernatorial election by a large margin and was reelected by an even larger margin in2008. He won the2010 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by incumbent DemocratRobert Byrd's death with 53.5% of the vote, and in2012 was elected to a full term with 60.6% of the vote. Manchin won a second term in2018 with 49.6% of the vote. In all his Senate elections, he drastically outperformed Democratic presidential nominees in the state. Manchin represented the mostRepublican-leaning constituency of any Democrat or independent in Congress during his tenure.[6][7]
Manchin has called himself a "centrist, moderate,conservative Democrat" and was generally regarded as the Senate Democratic caucus's most centrist member.[8] He opposed PresidentBarack Obama'senergy policies, including reductions and restrictions on coal mining; voted againstcloture for theDon't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 (not voting on the bill itself); supported PresidentDonald Trump'sborder wall andimmigration policies; and voted to confirm most of Trump's cabinet and judicial appointees, including JusticesNeil Gorsuch andBrett Kavanaugh and opposed Biden'sFreedom to Vote Act andBuild Back Better Act instead supporting theInflation Reduction Act.[9][10][11][12] On the other hand, Manchin voted against repeated attempts to repeal theAffordable Care Act, voted against theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, voted to convict Trump in both ofhis impeachment trials, voted againstAmy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, voted to confirmKetanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and was a Senate sponsor of the Inflation Reduction Act.[13] He is among the morenon-interventionist members of the Democratic caucus, having repeatedly called for thewithdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and opposedmost military interventions in Syria.[14][15]
After the2020 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 PresidentKamala Harris was the tiebreaker.[16] Since passing legislation with only Democratic support required Manchin's vote, he wielded a large influence in the117th Congress.[17] During the118th Congress, he was again considered a key swing vote in the Senate, alongsideKyrsten Sinema.[18][19] On November 9, 2023, Manchin announced that he would not run for reelection. In 2024, he left the Democratic Party to become an independent,[20] and later clarified that he would not run for any office, ending speculation that he might be a candidate in the2024 United States presidential election.[21]
As of 2025, Manchin is the most recent Democrat to hold non-judicial statewide office in West Virginia, and the most recent Democrat to serve the state in Congress.
Joseph Anthony Manchin III[22] was born on August 24, 1947, inFarmington, West Virginia,[23][24] a small coal mining town. He is the second of five children of Mary Olga (née Gouzd) and John Manchin.[25][26] The name "Manchin" was derived from the Italian name "Mancina".[27][28] His father was of Italian descent, and his paternal grandparents emigrated to the United States from the town ofSan Giovanni in Fiore, inCalabria.[29] Manchin's maternal grandparents were immigrants to the US from theMoravian-Silesian Region of theCzech Republic. Charles Gouzd born inPoruba (Orlová) and Maria Lucia (née Michalík) born inHeřmanice (Ostrava).[25][30]
Manchin's father owned a carpet and furniture store, and his grandfather, Joseph Manchin (Giuseppe Mancina), owned a grocery store.[31] His father and his grandfather each served as mayor of Farmington. Manchin's uncle,A. James Manchin, was a member of theWest Virginia House of Delegates and later served as West VirginiaSecretary of State andTreasurer.[32]
Manchin graduated from Farmington High School in 1965.[33] He enteredWest Virginia University on afootballscholarship in 1965, but an injury during practice ended his football career. Manchin graduated in 1970 with a degree inbusiness administration[34] and went to work for his family's business.[25] Manchin has been a close friend of formerAlabama Crimson Tide football coachNick Saban since childhood.[35]
In 1988, Manchin founded Enersystems, a waste coal brokerage company based inFairmont, West Virginia.[36][3] Manchin was president of Enersystems until 2000, when he entered politics and gave control of the company's daily operations to his son, Joe Manchin IV. At some point during his tenure as governor, Manchin moved his Enersystems holdings into ablind trust.[37] In a financial disclosure from 2020, Manchin reported that his non-public shares of Enersystems were worth between $1 million and $5 million and that between 2011 and 2020 he was paid $5,211,154 in dividend income from them.[38][4] In 2020, he received over $500,000 in dividends.[39] Enersystems is 71% of Manchin's investment income and 30% of his net worth.[40]
Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Manchin has listed AA Properties as a non-public asset on his annual financial disclosures.[41][42] AA Property is reportedly 50% controlled by Manchin, and has, among other things, been an investor in Emerald Coast Realty, which owns aLa Quinta hotel inElkview, West Virginia.[43]
Manchin was elected to theWest Virginia House of Delegates in 1982 at age 35 and in 1986 was elected to theWest Virginia Senate, where he served until 1996.[44] He ran for governor in1996, losing the Democraticprimary election toCharlotte Pritt.[45] At that time, he supported the Republican candidate for governor, Cecil Underwood, who went on to win.[46] Manchin was electedSecretary of State of West Virginia in 2000, defeatingLibertarian candidate Poochie Myers, 89.4% to 10.6%.[47]
In 2003, Manchin announced his intention to challenge incumbentDemocratic governorBob Wise in the 2004 Democratic primary.[48] Wise decided not to seek reelection after a scandal,[49] and Manchin won the Democratic primary andgeneral election by large margins.[50][51] His election marked the first time since 1964 that a West Virginia governor was succeeded by another governor from the same party.[52]
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In July 2005,Massey Energy CEODon Blankenship sued Manchin, alleging that Manchin had violated Blankenship'sFirst Amendment rights by threatening increased government scrutiny of his coal operations in retaliation for Blankenship's political activities.[53] Blankenship had donated substantial funds into campaigns to defeat a proposed pension bond amendment and oppose the reelection ofstate Supreme Court JusticeWarren McGraw,[54] and he fought against a proposed increase in theseverance tax on extraction of mineral resources.[55] Soon after the bond amendment's defeat, the state Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) revoked a permit approval for controversial newsilos near Marsh Fork Elementary School inRaleigh County. While area residents had complained for some time that the coal operation there endangered their children, Blankenship claimed that the DEP acted in response to his opposition to the bond amendment.[56]
During theSago Mine disaster in early January 2006 inUpshur County, West Virginia, Manchin confirmed incorrect reports that 12 miners had survived; in actuality only one survived.[57] Manchin later acknowledged that a miscommunication had occurred with rescue teams in the mine.[58] On February 1, 2006, he ordered a stop to all coal production in West Virginia pending safety checks after two more miners were killed in separate accidents.[59] Sixteen West Virginia coal miners died in mining accidents in early 2006.[60]
Manchin easily won reelection to a second term as governor in2008 against RepublicanRuss Weeks, capturing 69.81% of the vote and winning every county.[61]
Due to SenatorRobert Byrd's declining health, there was speculation about what Manchin would do if Byrd died. Manchin refused to comment on the subject until Byrd's death, except to say that he would not appoint himself to the Senate.[62] Byrd died on June 28, 2010,[63] and Manchin appointedCarte Goodwin, his 36-year-old legal adviser, on July 16.[64]
On July 20, 2010, Manchin announced he would seek the Senate seat in a special election for the remaining two years of Byrd's term.[65] In the August 28 Democratic special primary, he defeated former Democratic congressman and formerWest Virginia Secretary of StateKen Hechler.[66] In the special general election, he defeated Republican businessmanJohn Raese, 53.5%-43.4%.[67][68]
Manchin ran for reelection to a full-term in 2012. According to the Democratic firmPublic Policy Polling, early polling found Manchin heavily favored, leading RepresentativeShelley Moore Capito 50–39, 2010 opponentJohn Raese 60–31, and CongressmanDavid McKinley 57–28.[69] Manchin did not endorse PresidentBarack Obama for reelection in2012, saying that he had "some real differences" with the presumptive nominees of both major parties. Manchin found fault with Obama'seconomic andenergy policies and questionedRomney's understanding of the "challenges facing ordinary people".[70]
Manchin defeated Raese and Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber, winning 61% of the vote.[71]
In 2018, Manchin ran for reelection.[72] He was challenged in the Democratic primary byPaula Jean Swearengin. Swearengin is an activist and coal miner's daughter who was supported by former members ofBernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign. She criticized Manchin for voting with Republicans and supporting Trump's policies.[73][74] Manchin won the primary with 70% of the vote.
On the Republican side, Manchin was challenged byWest Virginia Attorney GeneralPatrick Morrisey. In August 2017, Morrisey publicly asked Manchin to resign from the Senate Democratic leadership. Manchin responded, "I don't give a shit, you understand?" to aCharleston Gazette-Mail reporter. "I just don't give a shit. Don't care if I get elected, don't care if I get defeated, how about that?"[75]
Manchin won the November 6 general election, defeating Morrisey 49.57%-46.26%.[76]
Manchin did not run for reelection in 2024. He indicated that he would not be leaving politics, saying he would be "traveling the country and speaking out, to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle, and bring Americans together".[77] In May[78] and again in June 2023,[79][80] he refused to rule out running for president as a third-party candidate instead of seeking reelection in 2024. SenatorsJohn Hickenlooper,Gary Peters, andJon Tester publicly urged Manchin not to run for president in 2024 and to instead seek reelection.[81]
On May 31, 2024, Manchin announced that he would leave the Democratic Party and file as anindependent but would remain a member of theSenate Democratic Caucus, alongside fellow independent SenatorsBernie Sanders,Angus King, andKyrsten Sinema.[82][a] By remaining in the Senate Democratic Caucus, Manchin remained chair of theSenate Energy Committee for the remainder of the118th United States Congress.[84] In the statement issued alongside his announcement filing as an independent, Manchin accused both the Republican and Democratic parties of "partisan extremism" and of "leaving West Virginia behind for partisan politics". He said that to "stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America's sensible majority".[85] With his decision, the Senate had the most independents in a single Congress since the ratification of the17th Amendment.[86]
Manchin was first sworn in to the U.S. Senate by Vice PresidentJoe Biden on November 15, 2010, succeeding interim senatorCarte Goodwin.[72] In a 2014New York Times interview, Manchin said his relationship with Obama was "fairly nonexistent."[87]
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According toFiveThirtyEight, which tracks congressional votes, Manchin voted with Trump's position 50.4% of the time during his presidency.[88]
Manchin initially welcomed Trump's presidency, saying, "He'll correct the trading policies, the imbalance in our trade policies, which are horrible." He supported the idea of Trump "calling companies to keep them from moving factories overseas".[89] Manchin voted for most of Trump's cabinet nominees. He was the only Democrat to vote to confirm Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions[90] and Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchin,[91] one of two Democrats to vote to confirmScott Pruitt asEPA Administrator, and one of three to vote to confirm Secretary of StateRex Tillerson.[92]
Manchin voted for Trump's first two Supreme Court nominees,Neil Gorsuch andBrett Kavanaugh. In the former case, he was one of three Democrats (alongsideJoe Donnelly andHeidi Heitkamp) to vote to confirm; in the latter case, he was the only one. He opposed the nomination ofAmy Coney Barrett, citing the closeness to the upcoming presidential election.[93]
Manchin voted to convict in bothTrump impeachment trials.[94][95]
According todata journalism siteFiveThirtyEight, Manchin had voted with Biden's position 87.9% of the time as of January 2023.[96] Because the Senate was evenly divided between Democratic and Republican members during the early portion of the Biden administration, Manchin's ability to deny Democrats a majority made him very influential.[97]
In January 2022,The Hill reported that Manchin "spent heavily on private security" during the last three months of 2021 "as he became a prime target for progressive protesters angry at his role blocking a reconciliation package in the Senate". According toThe Hill, "climate change protesters surrounded Manchin’s car in a parking garage in early November. In October, protesters in kayaks swarmed Manchin’s yacht, parked at a Washington marina where he lives". Furthermore, "a source close to Manchin told The Hill the senator and his family had been subjected to specific threats, both in Washington and in West Virginia".[98]
On March 25, 2022, Manchin announced that he would vote to confirmKetanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.[13]
On November 9, 2023, Manchin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024. He said that his decision was made "after months of deliberation and long conversations" with his family, adding that he would instead be "traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together".[99]
In early 2024, Manchin announced he was registering as independent,[20] and later that year announced he would not run for reelection, but did not rule out running for office in the future.[21] Manchin said his biggest regret during Biden's presidency was voting for theAmerican Rescue Plan, saying that it helped increasedinflation.[100]
Jim Justice won the West Virginia Senate seat Manchin vacated.[101]
Manchin received the most funding from the oil and gas industry of any senator from May 2020 to May 2021,[104] including $1.6 million in donations from fossil fuelPACs.[105] He also received funding from individuals and PACs connected to law and real estate, among others.[106]
In June 2021,ExxonMobil lobbyist Keith McCoy said that Manchin was one of its key targets for funding and that he participated in weekly meetings with the company.[107][40]
On September 30, 2021, anMSNBC news reporter asked Manchin about his opposition to theBuild Back Better Act, accusing him of having a conflict of interest with provisions within the bill: "Sir, the company you founded, Enersystems, provides coal to power plants that would be impacted by one of the proposals in the plan. How is that not a conflict of interest?" Manchin replied, "I've been in a blind trust for 20 years. I have no idea what they're doing."[108]
In 2023, Manchin "stoked rumors about his presidential ambitions by holding a call withNo Labels supporters and meeting with influential community leaders fromIowa, a state that holds outsized sway in guiding the trajectory of the presidential primaries".[78] In May 2023,[78] and again in June 2023,[79][80] he refused to rule out running for president of the United States as a third-party candidate in 2024. Reports indicated that the centrist group No Labels was seeking to support a third-party presidential campaign and that the organization viewed Manchin as a potential candidate.[109][78] Manchin later said in September 2025 that he ruled out a run because No Labels wanted a Republican on their presidential ticket.[110]
Manchin now serves as a No Labels National Co-chair, and on July 17, 2023, he and formerU.S. Ambassador to RussiaJon Huntsman Jr. headlined a No Labels Common Sense Agenda Town Hall in Manchester, New Hampshire.[111]
On February 15, 2024, during aCity Club of Cleveland forum, he said he would pick U.S. senatorMitt Romney or former U.S. senatorRob Portman as his running mate if he ran for president.[112]
On February 16, 2024, Manchin announced that he would not run for president.[113]
AfterPresident Biden withdrew from the 2024 race on July 21, 2024, Manchin expressed interest in running for president at the2024 Democratic National Convention, but opted not to, saying he would have preferred that the convention be an open contest.[114][115] AfterKamala Harris pickedTim Walz as her running mate, Manchin said, "I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together",[116] although he refrained from formally endorsing the Harris-Walz ticket, citing Harris's call to endthe filibuster in the United States Senate.[117]
Manchin is amoderate toconservative,[89][73] Democrat. He has called himself a "centrist, moderateconservative Democrat"[8] and "fiscally responsible and socially compassionate."CBS News has called him "a rifle-brandishing moderate" who is "about as centrist as a senator can get."[118] TheAmerican Conservative Union gave him a 25% lifetime conservative rating and theprogressivePACAmericans for Democratic Action gave him a 35%liberal quotient in 2016.[119] In February 2018, aCongressional Quarterly study found that Manchin had voted with Trump's position 71% of the time in Trump's first year in office,[120] but by the end of Trump's presidency, Manchin had voted with the president only 50.4% of the time.[88] Manchin voted with Biden 88.9% of the time as of September 2022.[96] In 2013, theNational Journal gave Manchin an overall score of 55% conservative and 46% liberal.[121] In 2023, the Lugar Center ranked Manchin fourth among senators for bipartisanship.[122]
On December 13, 2010, Manchin participated in the launch ofNo Labels, a nonpartisan organization "committed to bringing all sides together to move the nation forward."[123] As of September 2014, Manchin was an honorary co-chair of No Labels.[124] In November 2014, he stepped down from his honorary post after No Labels campaigned for a Republican challenger to an incumbent Democratic senator.[125] In 2017, Manchin once again became an honorary co-chair of No Labels.[126]
On February 6, 2022, Manchin endorsed SenatorLisa Murkowski in her reelection campaign that year. Murkowski said she would likewise endorse him for reelection if he ran in 2024.[127]
On November 9, 2023, Manchin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024.[128][129]
Manchin was raised as "pro-life".[130] He has mixed ratings from both theabortion-rights andanti-abortion movements' political action groups.[119] On August 3, 2015, he broke with Democratic leadership by voting in favor of a Republican-sponsored bill to terminate federal funding forPlanned Parenthood both in the United States and globally.[131] He has the endorsement ofDemocrats for Life of America, a Democratic PAC that opposes abortion.[132]
On March 30, 2017, Manchin voted against H.J.Res. 43, which allowed states to refuse to giveTitle X grant money to organizations for reasons unrelated to their ability to provide the services needed.[133] Trump signed the bill.[134] In April 2017, Manchin endorsed the continued funding of Planned Parenthood.[135][136] Also in 2017, Planned Parenthood gave him a rating of 44%.[137] In January 2018, Manchin joined two other Democrats and most Republicans by voting for a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks.[138] In June 2018, upon Supreme Court JusticeAnthony Kennedy's retirement, Manchin urged Trump not to appoint a judge who would seek to overturnRoe v. Wade but to instead choose a "centrist".[139]
In 2019, Manchin was one of three Democrats to join all Republicans in voting for a bill to require that doctors care for infants born alive after a failed abortion.[140]
In February 2022, Manchin was the only Democratic senator to vote against an abortion proposal,Women's Health Protection Act,[141] that would have included limiting the states' ability to restrict abortion access, among other expansions.[142]
In May 2022, Manchin said that he would again vote against his party's bill, the Women's Health Protection Act, which included codifying federal abortion rights as the Supreme Court appeared poised to overturnRoe. Manchin said the bill went too far and that he would support a narrower measure that still included codifyingRoe. He was the only Senate Democrat to oppose the legislation.[143][144]
Before his Senate swearing-in in 2010, rumors suggested that theRepublican Party was courting Manchin to change parties.[145] Republicans later suggested that Manchin was the source of the rumors.[146] Republicans attempted to convince him to switch parties in 2014 after they took control of the Senate.[147][failed verification] He rejected their overtures.[148] As the 2016 elections approached, reports speculated that Manchin would become a Republican if the Senate were in a 50–50 tie,[149] but he later said he would remain a Democrat at least as long as he remained in the Senate.[150] In 2018, Manchin said that he became and remained a Democrat because everyone that he knew growing up inFarmington, West Virginia was a Democrat during theNew Deal era.[10]
In 2021, during the time Manchin opposed the Biden-supportedBuild Back Better bill, several Republicans urged Manchin to join the Republican Party. During appearances on Fox News, RepublicansMitch McConnell,Jim Justice,Jeff Van Drew,Bill Hagerty, andTom Cotton each suggested that Manchin join their party. SenatorsTed Cruz andJohn Cornyn also said that they had attempted to convince Manchin to do so.[151][152]
In 2022,Donald Trump wrote in aTruth Social post: "The fact is, Joe Manchin should have been brought into the Republican Party long ago".[153]
In December 2018, after theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a pause on the funding program for wireless broadband during its conduct of an investigation, Manchin announced his intent to hold the renomination ofBrendan Carr in protest of the move. Manchin lifted his hold the following week after the FCC promised that it would make funding for wireless broadband in rural areas a priority.[154]
In August 2019, Manchin sent FCC ChairmanAjit Pai eight letters that contained results from speed tests across West Virginia as part of an effort to highlight incorrect broadband coverage maps in the state.[155]
In a November 10, 2020, interview, Manchin said that he did not "see the need for theD.C. statehood with the type of services that we're getting in D.C. right now" and that he was "not convinced that's the way to go." OfPuerto Rico statehood, Manchin said that he opposed it but was open to discussion.[156] In a January 10, 2021 interview, he did not affirm his opposition to statehood for D.C. or Puerto Rico, saying only, "I don't know enough about that yet. I want to see the pros and cons. So I'm waiting to see all the facts".[157] On April 30, 2021, Manchin came out against theD.C. Statehood bill that had passed the House of Representatives, suggesting that D.C. could instead be given statehood by constitutional amendment.[158]
In May 2019, Manchin andJohn Cornyn introduced the Disaster Recovery Funding Act, a bill that would direct theOffice of Management and Budget to release $16 billion for disaster relief funding within 60 days to nine states and two U.S. Territories. Manchin said that West Virginia had been awaiting funding for rebuilding for three years since a series of floods in June 2016. The bill died in committee.[159]
In August 2019, Manchin announced $106 million in disaster relief funding for West Virginia.[160]
In February 2019, Manchin said the collapse of an omnibus education reform proposal resulted from state lawmakers not laying the groundwork for broad support for the proposal. Manchin said, "You don't do major reform, policy changes, for the whole education system in a 60-day session without public hearings. There should have been a whole year of going out and speaking to the public." He stated his support forhomeschooling and private schools as well as his opposition to funding "them with public dollars."[161]
Manchin sits on theSenate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and supports a comprehensive, "all-of-the-above" energy approach that includes coal.[162]
Manchin's first bill in the Senate dealt with what he called theEPA's overreach. After the EPA vetoed a previously approved permit for the Spruce Mine inLogan County, West Virginia, he offered the EPA Fair Play Act, which would "clarify and confirm the authority of the Environment Protection Agency to deny or restrict the use of defined areas as disposal sites for the discharge of dredged or filled material".[163] Manchin said the bill would prevent the EPA from "changing its rules on businesses after permits have already been granted."[164]
Environmentalists have criticized Manchin for his family ties to the coal industry. He served as president of Energysystems in the late 1990s before becoming active in politics. On his financial disclosures in 2009 and 2010, his reported earnings from the company were $1,363,916 and $417,255, respectively.[37] Critics have said his opposition to health regulations that would raise industry expenses is due to his stake in the industry; West Virginia'sSierra Club chapter chair Jim Sconyers said, "he's been nothing but a mouthpiece for the coal industry his whole public life."[37] Opinions on the subject are mixed;The Charleston Gazette wrote, "the prospect that Manchin's $1.7 million-plus in recent Enersystems earnings might tilt him even more strongly pro-coal might seem remote, given the deep economic and cultural connections that the industry maintains in West Virginia."[165]
Manchin supports building theKeystone XL Pipeline from Canada. He has said, "It makes so much common sense that you want to buy oil off your friends and not your enemies." The pipeline would span over 2,000 miles across the United States.[166]
In 2011, Manchin was the only Democratic senator to support theEnergy Tax Prevention Act, which sought to prohibit the EPA from regulatinggreenhouse gas.[167] In 2012, Manchin supported a failed GOP effort to "scuttle Environmental Protection Agency regulations that mandate cuts in mercury pollution and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants", while West Virginia's other senator,Jay Rockefeller, did not.[168]
In December 2014, Manchin was one of six Democratic senators to sign a letter to the EPA urging it to give states more time to comply with its rule on power plants and calling for an elimination of the 2020 targets in the final rule.[169]
Manchin criticized PresidentBarack Obama's environmental regulations as a "war on coal" and demanded what he called a proper balance between the needs of the environment and the coal business.[170] TheLos Angeles Times wrote that while professing environmental concerns, he has consistently stood up for coal, adding, "no one is going to stop usingfossil fuels for a long time." Manchin "does not deny the existence of man-made climate change", theTimes wrote, but "is reluctant to curtail it."[171] In February 2017, he was one of two Democratic senators to vote to confirmScott Pruitt asAdministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.[172]
In June 2017, Manchin supported PresidentDonald Trump's withdrawal from theParis climate accord, saying he supported "a cleaner energy future" but that the Paris deal failed to strike "a balance between our environment and the economy."[173]
In April 2019, Manchin was one of three Democratic senators who voted with Republicans to confirmDavid Bernhardt, an oil executive, as Secretary of the Interior.[174]
In February 2019, after RepublicanSenate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell called for a vote on theGreen New Deal in order to get Democratic members of the Senate on record regarding the legislation, Manchin expressed opposition to the plan:
The Green New Deal is a dream, it's not a deal. It's a dream. And that's fine. People should have dreams in the perfect world what they'd like to see. I've got to work in realities and I've got to work in the practical, what I have in front of me. I've got to make sure that our country has affordable, dependable, reliable energy 24/7, but you can't just be a denier and say, "Well, I'm not going to use coal. I'm not going to use natural gas. I'm not going to use oil."[175]
In 2021, Manchin opposed the "Clean Electricity Performance Program" in a budget reconciliation bill, leading to its removal from that bill.[176][105]
In October 2021,The Guardian named Manchin one of the United States' top "climate villains", writing that he "uses his position to hold climate legislation hostage on behalf of the fossil fuel industry".[177]
In December 2024, Manchin revealed that he supported theInflation Reduction Act only after theRussian invasion of Ukraine, because of the2021-2023 global energy crisis.[100]
Manchin has co-sponsoredbalanced budget amendments put forth by SenatorsMike Lee (R-UT),[178]Richard Shelby (R-AL), andMark Udall (D-CO).[179] He has also voted against raising the federal debt ceiling.[180]
Manchin has expressed strong opposition to entitlement reform, describingMitch McConnell's comments in October 2018 on the need to reform entitlement programs such asSocial Security,Medicaid andMedicare as "absolutely ridiculous."[181] In January 2019, Manchin supported both Republican and Democratic bills to end agovernment shutdown.[182] He was the only Democrat to break from his party and vote in favor of the Republican proposal.[183]
On August 1, 2019, the Senate passed a bipartisan budget deal that raised spending over current levels by $320 billion and lifted the debt ceiling for the following two years in addition to forming a course for funding the government without the perceived fiscal brinkmanship of recent years. Manchin joinedTom Carper and RepublicansMitt Romney andRick Scott in issuing a statement asserting that "as former Governors, we were responsible for setting a budget each year that was fiscally responsible to fund our priorities. That's why today, we, as U.S. Senators, cannot bring ourselves to vote for this budget deal that does not put our country on a fiscally sustainable path."[184]
Manchin is critical of American military intervention overseas, particularly inAfghanistan andSyria. He has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and has opposed most military intervention in Syria.[185][14][186][15]
On June 21, 2011, Manchin delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for a "substantial and responsible reduction in theUnited States' military presence in Afghanistan." He said, "We can no longer afford to rebuild Afghanistan and America. We must choose. And I choose America."[187] Manchin's remarks were criticized by SenatorJohn McCain (R-AZ) as "at least uninformed about history and strategy and the challenges we face from radical Islamic extremism."[14] Manchin made similar remarks in a press conference on January 7, 2014, arguing that "all of the money and all of the military might in the world will not change that part of the world." He said that by the end of the year, the American troops in that country should be atBagram Airfield alone.[185] After the deaths of three American soldiers in Afghanistan in November 2018, Manchin renewed his calls for the withdraw of American troops from the country, saying that both presidents Obama and Trump had expressed support for taking troops out of the country but had not done so. "They all seem to have the rhetoric, and no one seems to have the follow-up. It's time to come out of there," he said.[14]
Manchin introduced legislation to reduce the use of overseas service and security contractors. He successfully amended the 2013National Defense Authorization Act to cap contractors' taxpayer-funded salaries at $230,000.[188]
Following theGhouta chemical attack in August 2013 during theSyrian Civil War, Manchin said, "There is no doubt that an attack occurred and there is no doubt it was produced under theAssad regime. It's not clear cut if Assad gave the order himself. It has not been proven." He opposed any strikes on the Syrian Government in retaliation for the attacks. Instead, he introduced a joint resolution with SenatorHeidi Heitkamp (D-ND) requesting that President Obama come up with a long-term strategy on Syria and work diplomatically to ensure the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.[186] On September 16, 2014, Manchin announced that he would vote against a possible Senate resolution to arm Syrian opposition fighters. "At the end of the day, most of the arms that we give to people are used against us. Most of the people we train turn against us," he said. He referred to plans calling for ground troops in Syria, which had been proposed by some Republican senators, includingLindsey Graham of South Carolina, as "insanity,"[15] but supported the2017 Shayrat missile strike launched by order of President Trump in response to a chemical weapons attack allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian Government. Manchin said that "yesterday's strike was important to send a message to the Syrian regime and their Russian enablers that these horrific actions will not be tolerated."[189]
In April 2017, Manchin was one of eight Democratic senators to sign a letter to President Trump noting government-subsidized Chinese steel had been placed into the American market in recent years below cost and had hurt the domestic steel industry and the iron ore industry that fed it, calling on Trump to raise the steel issue withGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi Jinping in his meeting with him.[190]
In April 2017, following aNorth Korea senior official declaring that the U.S. had created "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any minute," Manchin stated that North Korea had "to understand that we will retaliate" and that he did not believe the U.S. would not respond if North Korea continued to play "their games."[191] In May 2018, Manchin accusedKim Jong-un of accelerating "the nuclear threat" of North Korea in a manner that would enable him to receive concessions and that Kim Jong-un was "in a serious, serious problem with his country and the people in his country" without China.[192]
In June 2017, Manchin was one of five Democrats who, by voting against a Senate resolution disapproving of arms sales toSaudi Arabia, ensured its failure. Potential primary opponentPaula Jean Swearengin charged that because of Manchin's vote, weapons sold to the Saudis "could possibly end up in the hands of terrorists."[193]
In June 2017, Manchin co-sponsored theIsrael Anti-Boycott Act (S.270), which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment,[194] for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel andIsraeli settlements in the occupiedPalestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.[195]
In July 2017, Manchin urged Trump to block the sale of theChicago Stock Exchange to Chinese investors, arguing that China's "rejection of fundamental free-market norms and property rights of private citizens makes me strongly doubt whether an Exchange operating under the direct control of a Chinese entity can be trusted to 'self-regulate' now and in the future." He also expressed concern "that the challenges plaguing the Chinese market—lack of transparency, currency manipulation, etc.—will bleed into the Chicago Stock Exchange and adversely impact financial markets across the country."[196]
In November 2017, in response to efforts by China to purchase tech companies based in the U.S., Manchin was one of nine senators to cosponsor a bill that would broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by increasing the strength of theCommittee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The scope of the CFIUS would be expanded to allow it to review and possibly decline smaller investments, and add national security factors for CFIUS to consider, including whether information about Americans would be exposed as part of transactions or whether a deal would facilitate fraud.[197]
In November 2017, after the West Virginia Commerce Department announced an agreement with China Energy to invest $83.7 billion in shale gas development and chemical manufacturing projects in West Virginia after state Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher and China Energy President Ling Wen signed a memorandum of understanding, Manchin said that he was thrilled with the signing and that he was satisfied that China Energy recognized West Virginians as the hardest-working people in the world.[198]
In March 2018, Manchin blamed China for Trump's imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, noting that the U.S. was the largest importer of steel while 50% of steel was produced in China, and that he believed that prices would increase as a result of the tariffs.[199]
In 2019, Manchin and RepublicanMarco Rubio drafted a Middle East policy bill with provisions that rebuked President Trump over withdrawals of troops from Syria and Afghanistan and a measure authorizing state and municipal governments to punish companies after they oppose Israel via boycott, divestment or sanctions. The measure also reauthorized at least $3.3 billion for Israel's military financing in addition to extending Jordan's security aid, granting new sanctions on individuals giving their support to the Syrian government and ordering the Treasury Department to determine whether the Central Bank of Syria was money laundering. The bill passed in the Senate in a 77 to 23 vote in February 2019.[200]
On January 8, 2019, Manchin was one of four Democrats to vote to advance a bill imposing sanctions against the Syrian government and furthering U.S. support for Israel and Jordan as Democratic members of the chamber employed tactics to end theUnited States federal government shutdown of 2018–2019.[201] In April 2019, he endorsed Republican senatorSusan Collins in her 2020 reelection campaign.[202]
In May 2019, Manchin cosponsored the South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act, a bipartisan bill reintroduced byMarco Rubio andBen Cardin that was intended to disrupt China's consolidation or expansion of its claims of jurisdiction over both the sea and air space in disputed zones in the South China Sea.[203]
In October 2019, Manchin was one of six senators to sign a bipartisan letter to Trump calling on him to "urge Turkey to end their offensive and find a way to a peaceful resolution while supporting our Kurdish partners to ensure regional stability" and arguing that to leave Syria without installing protections for American allies would endanger both them and the US.[204]
In March 2022, during theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Manchin and Murkowski led the drafting of the Ban Russian Energy Imports Act. The act would declare a national emergency pursuant to existing law and ban most fossil fuel imports from Russia for the war's duration. At introduction it was sponsored by 18 senators, a mixture of Republicans, Democrats, and independents.[205][206]
In 2012, Manchin's candidacy was endorsed by theNational Rifle Association (NRA), which gave him an "A" rating.[207] Following theSandy Hook shooting, Manchin partnered with Republican senatorPat Toomey to introduce a bill that would have strengthened background checks on gun sales.[208] The Manchin-Toomey bill was defeated on April 17, 2013, by a vote of 54–46; 60 votes would have been required to pass it.[208] Despite the fact that the bill did not pass, the NRA targeted Manchin in an attack ad.[209][210][211]
Manchin was criticized in 2013 for agreeing to an interview withThe Journal inMartinsburg, West Virginia, but demanding that he not be asked any questions about gun control or the Second Amendment.[212]
In 2016, referring to the difficulty of keeping guns out of the hands of potential terrorists in the aftermath of theOrlando nightclub shooting, Manchin said, "due process is what's killing us right now." This comment drew the criticism of both theNRA and theCato Institute, which accused Manchin of attacking a fundamental constitutional principle. "With all respect," commented Ilya Shapiro of Cato, "due process is the essential basis of America."[213][214]
In October 2017, following theLas Vegas shooting, Manchin stated that it was "going to take President Trump, who looks at something from a law-abiding gun owner's standpoint, that makes common sense and gun sense" for progress to be made on gun legislation and that he would not rule out reviving the Manchin-Toomey bill if the legislation attracted enough Republican cosponsors.[215]
In a March 2018 interview, a month after theStoneman Douglas High School shooting and shortly before theMarch For Our Lives demonstrations, Manchin stated that the Manchin-Toomey bill should serve as the base for a new gun control law and that Trump expressing support for background checks would set his legacy and "give Republicans enough cover to support this in the most reasonable, responsible way."[216]
In August 2019, following two more mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Manchin said that Trump had "a golden opportunity to start making America safe again by starting with this basic building block of background checks." Manchin also noted his disagreement with the position of House Minority WhipSteve Scalise that existing gun background check measures were sufficient, adding that even though he was "a law-abiding gun owner," he would not sell a gun through a gun show or online to someone whose history he was unsure of.[217] On September 5 of that year, Manchin and Trump met in the White House for a discussion on gun-control legislation. According to a White House official, Trump told Manchin of his "interest in getting a result" so dialogue could resume "to see if there's a way to create a reasonable background check proposal, along with other ideas."[218]
In 2010, Manchin called for "repairs" of the Affordable Care Act and repeal of the "bad parts of Obamacare."[219][220] On January 14, 2017, Manchin expressed concern at the strict party-line vote on repealing Obamacare and said he could not, in good conscience, vote to repeal without a new plan in place. He added, however, that he was willing to work with Trump and the GOP to formulate a replacement.[221] In June 2017, Manchin andBob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania warned that repealing Obamacare would worsen theopioid crisis.[222] In July 2017, he said that he was one of about ten senators from both parties who had been "working together behind the scenes" to formulate a new health-care program, but that there was otherwise insufficient bipartisanship on the issue.[223]
In September 2017, Manchin released a statement expressing that he was skeptical of a single-payer health care system being "the right solution" while noting his support for the Senate considering "all of the options through regular order so that we can fully understand the impacts of these ideas on both our people and our economy."[223]
During 2016–2017, Manchin read to the Senate several letters from constituents about loved ones' deaths from opioids and urged his colleagues to act to prevent more deaths. Manchin took "an unusual proposal" to President Trump to address the crisis and called for a "war on drugs" that involves not punishment but treatment. He proposed the LifeBOAT Act, which would fund treatment. He also opposesmarijuana legalization.[224][225] In January 2018, Manchin was one of six Democrats who broke with their party to vote to confirm Trump's nominee for Health Secretary,Alex Azar.[226]
In his 2018 reelection campaign, Manchin emphasized his support for Obamacare, running an ad where he criticized a lawsuit that sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act.[220]
In January 2019, Manchin was one of six Democratic senators to introduce the American Miners Act of 2019, a bill that would amend theSurface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to swap funds in excess of the amounts needed to meet existing obligations under the Abandoned Mine Land fund to the 1974 Pension Plan as part of an effort to prevent its insolvency as a result of coal company bankruptcies and the 2008 financial crisis. It also increased theBlack Lung Disability Trust Fund tax and ensured that miners affected by the 2018 coal company bankruptcies would not lose their health care.[227]
In a May 2019 letter to Attorney GeneralWilliam Barr, Manchin and RepublicanSusan Collins wrote that the Affordable Care Act "is quite simply the law of the land, and it is the Administration's and your Department's duty to defend it" and asserted that Congress could "work together to fix legislatively the parts of the law that aren't working" without letting the position of a federal court "stand and devastate millions of seniors, young adults, women, children and working families."[228]
Manchin is opposed to theDREAM Act, and was absent from a 2010 vote on the bill.[229] He supports construction of awall along the southern border of the United States.[230][231] He opposed the Obama administration's lawsuit against Arizona over that state's immigration enforcement law.[232] Manchin voted against the McCain-Coons proposal to create a pathway to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants without funding for a border wall and he voted against a comprehensive immigration bill proposed bySusan Collins which gave a pathway to citizenship forDreamers as well as funding for border security.[233]
Manchin voted to withhold funding for "sanctuary cities" and in support of President Trump's proposal to give a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, build a border wall, and reduce legal immigration.[234] On June 18, 2018, he came out against theTrump administration family separation policy.[235] In September 2019, Manchin was the only Democrat on the Senate Appropriations panel to vote for a $71 billion homeland security measure that granted Trump the $5 billion he had previously requested to build roughly 200 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.[236]
In response to a leaked story that theBiden administration would pursue a $3 trillion infrastructure package,[237] Manchin appeared to support the spending, calling for an "enormous" infrastructure bill.[238] He also expressed openness to paying for the bill by raising taxes on corporations and wealthy people, despite the fact that this would likely eliminate any possible bipartisan support.[239][240]
In December 2021, Manchin signaled that he was not likely to vote for the Biden-supportedBuild Back Better Act, saying, "I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I've tried everything humanly possible. I can't get there."[241] Manchin named growing inflation, thenational debt, and theOmicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as reasons for opposition. White House Press SecretaryJen Psaki responded that Manchin's comments "represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the president and the senator's colleagues in the House and Senate".[242] TheUnited Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which represents West Virginia coal miners and endorsed Manchin in the2018 United States Senate election in West Virginia,[243] urged him to revisit his opposition; the UMWA noted that the bill included an extension of a fund providing benefits to coal miners withblack lung disease as well as tax incentives for manufacturers to build facilities in coalfields, which would employ thousands of out-of-work miners.[244]
Also in December 2021, Manchin expressed displeasure with the tactics Democrats used to pressure him into supporting the Build Back Better Act. In an interview withPolitico, he said, "They figure, 'surely to God we can move one person. Surely, we can badger and beat one person up.' Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia. I’m not from where they’re from, [where] they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive... I just got to the wit’s end... It’s not the president, it’s the staff. They drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable”.[245]
Continued negotiations between Manchin and Senate Majority LeaderChuck Schumer eventually resulted in theInflation Reduction Act of 2022, which incorporated some of the Build Back Better Act's climate change, healthcare, and tax reform proposals while excluding its social safety net proposals.[246] Manchin expressed his support for the Inflation Reduction Act on July 27, 2022.[247] On August 7, 2022, the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act on a 51–50 vote, with Manchin voting in favor and Vice PresidentKamala Harrisbreaking a tie.[248] On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Act into law.[249]
In February 2023,Politico reported that Manchin was "livid" over how the Biden administration was implementing the Inflation Reduction Act. He was especially concerned about "a delay in new guidelines on who gets the law’s generous electric vehicle tax credits".[250]
In July 2024, Manchin andJohn Barrasso introduced S. 4753, theEnergy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, aiming to speed the permitting process for energy infrastructure and mineral development.[251][252] The bill would affect bothfossil fuel andelectric power transmission projects.[253]
On December 9, 2010, Manchin was the sole Democrat to vote againstcloture for the 2011National Defense Authorization Act, which contained a provision to repealDon't Ask, Don't Tell. In an interview with theAssociated Press, Manchin cited the advice of retired military chaplains as a basis for his decision to vote against repeal.[254] He also indicated he wanted more time to "hear the full range of viewpoints from the citizens of West Virginia."[255] A day later, he was publicly criticized at a gay rights rally for his position on the bill.[256] On July 26, 2017, he voiced opposition to Trump's proposed ban ontransgender service in the United States military.[257]
As of 2015, Manchin was the only member of theSenate Democratic Caucus to opposesame-sex marriage.[258][259][260] On February 14, 2018, he cosponsored S.515, a bill that would amend theInternal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that all provisions shall apply to legally married same-sex couples in the same manner as other married couples.[261] As of March 18, 2019, he is the only member of theSenate Democratic Caucus who is not a cosponsor of theEquality Act. He has said that he believes "no one should be afraid of losing their job or losing their housing because of their sexual orientation" but does not believe the current version of the Equality Act "provides sufficient guidance to the local officials who will be responsible for implementing it."[258] In November 2022, Manchin reversed his prior position and voted to advance and pass legislation, theRespect for Marriage Act, which protectssame-sex marriages under federal law.[262][263]
In March 2021, Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for a failed amendment to rescind funding from public schools that allow transgender youth to participate in the sporting teams of theirgender identity.[264][265]
TheHuman Rights Campaign, the largestLGBT rights group in America, gave Manchin a score of 48% in the116th Congress.[266] He received a score of 30% in the 115th Congress, 85% in the 114th Congress, and 65% in the 113th Congress.
In June 2011, Manchin joined SenatorChuck Schumer (D-NY) in seeking a crackdown onBitcoin currency transactions, saying that they facilitatedillegal drug trade transactions. "The transactions leave no traditionalbank transfermoney trail for investigators to follow, and leave it hard to prove a package recipient knew in advance what was in a shipment," using an "'anonymizing network' known asTor."[267] One opinion website said the senators wanted "to disrupt theSilk Road drug website."[268]
In May 2012, in an effort to reduce prescription drug abuse, Manchin successfully proposed an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration reauthorization bill to reclassifyhydrocodone as aSchedule II controlled substance.[269]
In 2018, Manchin secured a provision in the Opioid Crisis Response Act that ensured additional opioid funding for West Virginia after the bill had previously granted funding based on states' overall opioid overdose death counts as opposed to the overdose death rate. Manchin stated that the bill before his intervention was "basically using a blanket before when giving money" and added that the bill was incentivizing "companies to do the research to produce a product that gives the same relief as the opioid does, but is not (addictive)." The bill passed in the Senate in September.[270]
In April 2019, Manchin cosponsored the Protecting Jessica Grubb's Legacy Act, legislation that authorized medical records of patients being treated for substance use disorder being shared among healthcare providers in case the patient provided the information. CosponsorShelley Moore Capito stated that the bill also prevented medical providers from unintentionally providing opioids to individuals in recovery.[271]
In May 2019, when Manchin and Capito announced $600,000 of funding for West Virginia through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program of the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration, Manchin stated that the opioid epidemic had devastated every community in West Virginia and that as a senator "fighting against this horrible epidemic and helping fellow West Virginians have always been my top priorities."[272]
In July 2019, Manchin issued a release in which he called for a $1.4 billion settlement from Reckitt Benckiser Group to be used for both programs and resources that would address theopioid epidemic.[273]
To help locate missing senior citizens, Manchin introduced theSilver Alert Act in July 2011 to create a nationwide network for locating missing adults and senior citizens modeled after theAmber alert.[274] Manchin also sponsored the National Yellow Dot Act to create a voluntary program that would alert emergency services personnel responding to car accidents of the availability of personal and medical information on the car's owner.[275]
Manchin said in 2014 that he "would change Social Security completely. I would do it on an inflationary basis, as far as paying into payroll taxes, and change that, to keep us stabilized as far as cash flow. I'd do COLAs—I'd talk aboutCOLA for 250 percent of poverty guidelines." Asked whether this meant he would "cut benefits to old people," Manchin said that "a rich old person ... won't get the COLAs." He asked: "Do you wantchained CPI? I can live with either one."[276]
In 2018, Manchin was one of 17 Democrats to break with their party and vote with Republicans to ease theDodd-Frank banking rules.[277]
Manchin opposed Trump'sTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He called it "a closed process" that "makes little impact in the paychecks of the people in his state." At the same time, he posited the bill contains "some good things ... Initially people will benefit," although ultimately voting against it. In turn, NRSC spokesman Bob Salera stated that he had "turned his back and voted with Washington Democrats."[278][279]
Manchin opposed theJanuary 2018 government shutdown.The New York Times suggested that he helped end the shutdown by threatening not to run for reelection unless his fellow Democrats ended it.[280]
In March 2019, Manchin was a cosponsor of a bipartisan bill to undo a drafting error in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that mandated stores and restaurants to have to write off the costs of renovations over the course of 39 years via authorizing businesses to immediately deduct the entirety of costs of renovations.[281]
On February 2, 2021, Manchin announced his opposition to an increase from $7.25 to $15 per hour in the federalminimum wage, but said he was open to a smaller increase, perhaps to $11,[282] and higher for parts of the country with a higher cost of living, likeMassachusetts,New York, andCalifornia. He also argued that the minimum wage should be index-linked, saying, "Once it gets above $11 it should be indexed, so it never becomes a political football again."[283] Along with seven other Democrats,[284] Manchin opposed a $15 minimum wage proposal byBernie Sanders as part of theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and forced Democrats to limit extended unemployment benefits in the same bill.[285]
In February 2017, Manchin andRoy Blunt introduced the HIRE Veterans Act, which establishes a tiered recognition program within the Department of Labor to award employers based on their contributions to veteran employment. The legislation passed in April 2017.[286]
In January 2019, Manchin was one of five senators to cosponsor the VA Provider Accountability Act, a bipartisan bill meant to amend Title 38 of the United States Code to authorize the under secretary of health to report "major adverse personnel actions" related to certain health care employees at the National Practitioner Data Bank along with applicable state licensing boards.[287]
In July 2019, Manchin and RepublicanMarsha Blackburn introduced the Providing Veterans Access to In-State Tuition Act, a bill that would remove a three-year post-discharge requirement and thereby enable student veterans eligibility to receive in-state tuition rates from public schools in the event they decide to use their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.[288]
In August 2019, Manchin and Capito announced a collection of grants that totaled to over $7 million intended to aid homeless veterans under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program.[289]
On June 6, 2021, in an op-ed published in theCharleston Gazette-Mail, Manchin expressed his opposition to theFor the People Act due to its lack of bipartisan support. But he has expressed his support for a reinforced version of theJohn Lewis Voting Rights Act and urged its passage in the Senate.[290][291] Shortly thereafter, several Democratic lawmakers accused Manchin of supportingJim Crow laws by opposing the For the People Act, a signature piece of legislation of the Democratic majority, aiming to expand voting rights, among other provisions.[292]
The bill has universal Republican opposition, and so would require the filibuster to be eliminated in order to pass. Manchin defended his opposition to it, saying, "I think there's a lot of great things in that piece of legislation, but there's an awful lot of things that basically don't pertain directly to voting." In the op-ed, he also elaborated on his view of eliminating the filibuster: "I cannot explain strictly partisan election reform or blowing up the Senate rules to expedite one party's agenda."[291]
From 2021 until he became an Independent in 2024, Manchin was the only Democrat holding congressional or statewide partisan office in West Virginia. Although Democrats have not won West Virginia in a presidential election since1996, or even a single county in the state since2008, Manchin held his U.S. Senate seat from 2010 to 2025.[7]
Manchin's legacy has been described as complicated, including by Manchin himself. Manchin and Joe Biden both left office in 2025.[293]
In September 2018,GQ called Manchin "the last Democrat in Trump country."[10] In October 2021, Richard Luscombe wrote inThe Guardian that Manchin was aDemocrat in name only because he opposed Biden'sBuild Back Better Act.[294] In November 2023, theAssociated Press called Manchin "the last in a line of formidableWest Virginia Democrats who promoted coal interests", in line with Manchin's predecessors such asRobert Byrd,Jay Rockefeller, andJennings Randolph.[295]
SenatorJon Tester said, "Manchin is going to be remembered as somebody who has been difficult to work with, but got a lot of things done". Tester unsuccessfully tried to persuade Manchin to change the Senate filibuster. Journalist Burgess Everett said Manchin's "name is now synonymous with any single member of Congress who's willing to hold up an entire party's agenda".[100]
After Kamala Harris lost the2024 United States presidential election to Donald Trump, Manchin criticized many of the Democratic Party's positions and said that its brand was "toxic." Manchin said he will remain an independent and had no plans to run for political office in the future.[296]
A memoir,Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense, was released on September 16, 2025. In it, Manchin revealed that he was glad Republicans won control of the Senate in2024.[297]
Manchin is a member of theNational Rifle Association and a licensedpilot.[25][298][299] He marriedGayle Heather Conelly on August 5, 1967. Together they have three children:Heather Manchin Bresch, Joseph IV, and Brooke.[25]
In 2006 and 2010, Manchin delivered commencement addresses atWheeling Jesuit University and atDavis & Elkins College, receiving honorary degrees from both institutions.[301][302]
In December 2012, Manchin voiced his displeasure withMTV's new reality showBuckwild, which was set in his home state's capital of Charleston. He asked the network's president to cancel the show, contending that it depicted West Virginia in a negative, unrealistic fashion.[303] The show ended after its first season.[304][305]
In a lawsuit filed in July 2014, John Manchin II, one of Manchin's brothers, sued Manchin and his other brother, Roch Manchin, over a $1.7 million loan. The lawsuit alleged that Joe and Roch Manchin borrowed the money to keep the doors open at the family-owned carpet business run by Roch, that no part of the loan had yet been repaid, and that the defendants had taken other measures to evade compensating John Manchin II for non-payment.[306] John Manchin II withdrew the suit on June 30, 2015.[307]
As of 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Manchin's net worth was more than $7.6 million.[308]
As of 2022, Manchin lived on ayacht in thePotomac River when in Washington, and his net worth was estimated to be $12 million.[309]
1982
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin, III | 7,687 | 21.15% | |
| Democratic | Cody A. Starcher (incumbent) | 6,844 | 18.83% | |
| Democratic | William E. Stewart | 6,391 | 17.59% | |
| Democratic | Samuel A. Morasco | 4,250 | 11.70% | |
| Democratic | Nick Fantasia | 5,072 | 13.96% | |
| Democratic | Donald L. Smith | 3,276 | 9.02% | |
| Democratic | J. Lonnie Bray | 2,819 | 7.76% | |
| Total votes | 36,339 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 16,160 | N/A | |
| Democratic | Cody A. Starcher (incumbent) | 16,110 | N/A | |
| Democratic | William E. Stewart | 15,090 | N/A | |
| Republican | Benjamin N. Springston (incumbent) | 12,166 | N/A | |
| Republican | Paul E. Prunty (incumbent) | 14,620 | N/A | |
| Democratic | Samuel A. Morasco | 11,741 | N/A | |
| Republican | Edgar L. Williams III | 5,702 | N/A | |
| Republican | Lyman Clark | 5,270 | N/A | |
| Democratichold | ||||
1986
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin, III | 10,691 | 56.53% | |
| Democratic | Jack May | 8,220 | 43.47% | |
| Total votes | 18,911 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin, III | 17,284 | 65.87% | |
| Republican | Lyman Clark | 8,955 | 34.13% | |
| Total votes | 26,239 | 100.0% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
1988
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin III (incumbent) | 13,932 | 63.58% | |
| Democratic | Anthony J. Yanero | 7,981 | 36.42% | |
| Total votes | 21,913 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin III (incumbent) | 29,792 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 29,792 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
1992
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin III (incumbent) | 17,238 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 17,238 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin III (incumbent) | 33,218 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 33,218 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
1996
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charlotte Pritt | 130,107 | 39.54% | |
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 107,124 | 32.56% | |
| Democratic | Jim Lees | 64,100 | 19.48% | |
| Democratic | Larrie Bailey | 15,733 | 4.78% | |
| Democratic | Bobbie Edward Myers | 3,038 | 0.92% | |
| Democratic | Lyle Sattes | 2,931 | 0.89% | |
| Democratic | Bob Henry Baber | 1,456 | 0.44% | |
| Democratic | Louis J. Davis | 1,351 | 0.41% | |
| Democratic | Frank Rochetti | 1,330 | 0.40% | |
| Democratic | Richard E. Koon | 1,154 | 0.35% | |
| Democratic | Fred Schell | 733 | 0.22% | |
| Total votes | 329,057 | 100.00% | ||
2000
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin, III | 141,839 | 51.08% | |
| Democratic | Charlotte Pritt | 80,148 | 28.86% | |
| Democratic | Mike Oliverio | 35,424 | 12.76% | |
| Democratic | Bobby Nelson | 20,259 | 7.30% | |
| Total votes | 277,670 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin, III | 478,489 | 89.44% | |
| Libertarian | Poochie Myers | 56,477 | 10.56% | |
| Total votes | 534,966 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
2004
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 149,362 | 52.73% | |
| Democratic | Lloyd M. Jackson II | 77,052 | 27.20% | |
| Democratic | Jim Lees | 40,161 | 14.18% | |
| Democratic | Lacy Wright, Jr. | 4,963 | 1.75% | |
| Democratic | Jerry Baker | 3,009 | 1.06% | |
| Democratic | James A. Baughman | 2,999 | 1.06% | |
| Democratic | Phillip Frye | 2,892 | 1.02% | |
| Democratic | Lou Davis | 2,824 | 1.00% | |
| Total votes | 283,262 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 472,758 | 63.51% | +13.39% | |
| Republican | Monty Warner | 253,131 | 34.00% | −13.21% | |
| Mountain | Jesse Johnson | 18,430 | 2.48% | +0.87% | |
| Write-in | 114 | 0.02% | +0.01% | ||
| Margin of victory | 219,627 | 29.50% | +26.58% | ||
| Total votes | 744,433 | ||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
2008
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 264,775 | 74.62% | |
| Democratic | Mel Kessler | 90,074 | 25.38% | |
| Total votes | 354,849 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 492,697 | 69.81% | +6.30% | |
| Republican | Russ Weeks | 181,612 | 25.73% | −8.27% | |
| Mountain | Jesse Johnson | 31,486 | 4.46% | +1.99% | |
| Margin of victory | 311,085 | 44.08% | +14.57% | ||
| Total votes | 705,795 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
2010
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 67,498 | 72.9% | |
| Democratic | Ken Hechler | 16,039 | 17.3% | |
| Democratic | Sheirl Fletcher | 9,035 | 9.8% | |
| Total votes | 92,572 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin | 283,358 | 53.47% | −10.96% | |
| Republican | John Raese | 230,013 | 43.40% | +9.69% | |
| Mountain | Jesse Johnson | 10,152 | 1.92% | +0.06% | |
| Constitution | Jeff Becker | 6,425 | 1.21% | N/A | |
| Majority | 53,345 | 10.07% | |||
| Total votes | 529,948 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
2012
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 163,891 | 79.9% | |
| Democratic | Sheirl Fletcher | 41,118 | 20.1% | |
| Total votes | 205,009 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 399,908 | 60.57% | +7.10% | |
| Republican | John Raese | 240,787 | 36.47% | −6.93% | |
| Mountain | Bob Henry Baber | 19,517 | 2.96% | +1.04% | |
| Total votes | 660,212 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Democratichold | |||||
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 112,658 | 69.86% | |
| Democratic | Paula Jean Swearengin | 48,594 | 30.14% | |
| Total votes | 161,252 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Manchin (incumbent) | 290,510 | 49.57% | −11.0% | |
| Republican | Patrick Morrisey | 271,113 | 46.26% | +9.79% | |
| Libertarian | Rusty Hollen | 24,411 | 4.17% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 586,034 | 100% | N/A | ||
| Democratichold | |||||
Joseph Anthony Manchin III was born August 24, 1947, in Farmington, Marion County.
Michael Kostenko, D.O. v. GovernorJoseph Anthony Manchin, III, et al. Civil Action No. 08-C-3359
He's a lonely Democrat in deep red West Virginia. Senator Joe Manchin is also the last of a dying breed. A moderate. A nice guy! Now, in these not-so-nice times, he's fighting for his life. And somehow both control of Congress and the future of his party hang in the balance.
Manchin joins three other members of the Senate who identify as independents: Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Angus King (Maine) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), who each caucus with Democrats. A Manchin spokesperson said he will continue to caucus with Democrats.
Manchin plans to stay in the Senate Democratic Caucus, however, and keep his positions there, including as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He is also a member of Democratic leadership, as a vice chair of the caucus's Policy and Communications Committee.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forSecretary of State of West Virginia 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for Governor of West Virginia 2004,2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theDemocratic Governors Association 2007–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromWest Virginia (Class 1) 2010,2012,2018 | Succeeded by Glenn Elliott |
| Preceded by | Vice Chair of theSenate Democratic Policy Committee 2017–2019 | Succeeded by Himself |
| Preceded by Himself | Vice Chair of theSenate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee 2019–2025 Served alongside:Cory Booker (2021–2025) | Succeeded byas Vice Chair of the Senate DemocraticSteering andPolicy Committee |
| Succeeded byas Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Strategic Communications Committee | ||
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of West Virginia 2001–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of West Virginia 2005–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theNational Governors Association 2010 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | United States Senator (Class 1) from West Virginia 2010–2025 Served alongside:Jay Rockefeller,Shelley Moore Capito | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Energy Committee 2019–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Energy Committee 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Senator | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Senator | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Senator |
| Public Lands (1816–1921) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Lands and Surveys (1921–1947) | ||
| Interior and Insular Affairs (1947–1977) | ||
| Energy and Natural Resources (1977–) | ||
| Class 1 | | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
