West Virginia Democratic Delegate Mike Pushkin stands in front of the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., on April 1, 2022. (KeynoteUSA Photo/Leah Willingham)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) – West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin on Friday expressed the party’s disappointment after Sen. Joe Manchin, who was the state’s only Democratic member of his congressional delegation, announced that he had registered as an independent.
Manchin said in a statement that since beginning his Senate career in 2010, he has “watched the Democratic and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind through partisan extremism, endangering our democracy.”
“To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue fighting for America’s sane majority,” his statement concluded.
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Pushkin issued the following statement shortly after it became known that Manchin was no longer a Democrat:
Clearly, the senator believes his new role as leader of Americans Together, an organization dedicated to bridging the divide between the two major parties, can be better served in the final eight months of his term as an independent.
We would like to thank Senator Manchin for expressing his unconditional support for Huntington Mayor Steve Williams’ gubernatorial campaign against Patrick Morrisey just two days ago. In his endorsement of Mayor Williams, Senator Manchin said: ‘My support is with Steve Williams. He has been a friend of mine for 40 years. ‘I know how good he is, how competent he is and I know how hard he will work.’ The senator’s support shows the appeal Steve Williams has across the political spectrum.
While the senator has been one of the most independent senators in the country and has at times opposed the Democratic agenda, we will always be grateful for his votes to impeach President Trump, to create the January 6 Commission, and his warning that , if re-elected, Trump “will destroy democracy in the United States.”
Regardless of any politician’s partisan or nonpartisan affiliation, the West Virginia Democratic Party will continue to fight for our basic core values. The right to earn a living wage, workplace safety, quality schools, affordable healthcare, and reproductive freedom for all citizens.
The West Virginia Democratic Party has lost other members recently: Former House of Delegates Minority Leader Doug Skaff resigned as leader, resigned from the House and registered as a Republican before running for Secretary of State, a position he lost. In 2023 and 2022, politicians such as Del. Elliott Pritt and State Senator Glenn Jeffries switched parties from Democrat to Republican while remaining in office.
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