Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) reignited speculation about his 2024 presidential plans on Friday with a visit to New Hampshire.
Manchin visited the first-in-the-nation primary state to take part in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics’s “Politics and Eggs” speaker series, which has hosted several 2024 contenders. While the West Virginia senator maintained he was “not here campaigning,” the visit does mark his second trip to New Hampshire in a year.
“Everyone says, ‘Are you running for this or running for that?’ I say, ‘No, I’m running the race to bring the country together,’” Manchin told the crowd at the event, which took place at Saint Anselm College. “I’m not here campaigning. I’m here basically [because I’m] concerned about my country.”
Pressed by reporters after the event about his time frame for entering the race, which all other candidates have been in since last year, Manchin said he believes he’ll have an idea by Super Tuesday whether a third-party bid would be necessary.
“If there’s going to be an option or a need for an option, you’ll find out by then,” Manchin said, according to the Associated Press. “By March, you’re going to have pretty much a lay of the land and what you’re going to have and what you’re going to be offered.”
Rather than seek reelection to his coveted seat, the West Virginia Democrat announced in November he instead plans to travel the country in hopes of being a unifier. The decision has sparked speculation about his potential presidential ambitions and whether Manchin could challenge President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection bid.
Manchin has also fiercely defended plans from the centrist group No Labels to create a third-party presidential ticket amid sustained speculation that he could be their nominee.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a centrist Republican, said at the time of Manchin’s retirement announcement that No Labels would reach a decision about running someone in the 2024 contest around Super Tuesday, which takes place on March 5.
For its part, No Labels praised Manchin at the time as a “tireless voice for America’s commonsense majority” in reaction to his announcement.
“Regarding our No Labels Unity presidential ticket, we are gathering input from our members across the country to understand the kind of leaders they would like to see in the White House,” it continued. “As we have said from the beginning, we will make a decision by early 2024 about whether we will nominate a Unity presidential ticket and who will be on it.”
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Manchin has been associated with No Labels for over a decade. Those ties are not as easily documented because the group operates as a nonprofit group rather than a standard political party, allowing it not to disclose its donor network.
Still, the organization is working on getting on the ballot in a dozen states. Democrats have largely slammed the effort, arguing a bipartisan ticket would likely hand the 2024 race to former President Donald Trump. Manchin and No Labels have separately said they would not take any actions that return Trump to the White House.