Kamala Harris May Face a Challenge From Joe Manchin

While many believe Vice President Kamala Harris has a shoe in for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, a source familiar with West Viriginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he is considering joining the race.

Manchin, 76, contemplated running against President Joe Biden but decided against it. The lawmaker also did not run for another full term in the upper chamber, with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice expected to replace him in 2025.

Earlier in the day Sunday, Manchin joined the list of senators calling on Biden to withdraw from the race.

Joe Manchin, Kamala Harris

“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I want him to be the president in the last five months of this presidency of his term, to do what he can do is unite our country, to calm down the rhetoric and be able to focus attention to peace in the world.”

Manchin also appeared on ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos to say Biden would “go down with a legacy unlike many people.”

“He will go down with a legacy unlike many people as one of the finest and truly a patriot, an American, so with that, I come with a heavy heart to think the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin said.

President Joe Biden in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Dec. 6.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Biden announced Sunday afternoon that he would withdraw his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. His decision follows weeks of mounting pressure from within his party and from key Democratic donors urging him to step aside for the sake of the party’s future.

The current President endorsed Harris as the Democratic nomination. Many other leading Democrats have also shared similar sentiments.

Manchin, however, has advocated for an “open process” to select Biden’s replacement.

Newsweek reached out to Manchin’s office but did not hear back for comment immediately.

Manchin, who previously was the governor of West Viriginia, did not run for another full Senate term but was known as an ally to the president. According to data from FiveThirtyEight, Manchin voted with Biden’s position 87.9% of the time as of January 2023. Due to the even Senate division, this made Manchin’s position influential.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 11, 2017.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Manchin also changed his party registration in May to Independent in order to keep his political options open. He told HuffPost on Sunday, however, that he is considering re-registering as a Democrat.

“I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people,” Manchin told CNN, noting possibilities like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

Manchin is not the only Democratic leader who has not endorsed Harris.

“No disrespect to Vice President Harris ― this doesn’t need to be decided within minutes or hours of President Biden’s decision, we need to hear from voters,” Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett told CNN.

New York Mayor Eric Adams has commended President Joe Biden for stepping aside in the 2024 presidential election, but he will not endorse current Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

“Whoever wants to run, they should have the right to do so,” Adams said in an interview with CNN. “We make a decision on who to best represent our body.”

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected].