NPR
Inside Joe Manchin's new quest to elect more Independents to Congress
Monday, July 27, 2026
Joe Manchin, who represented West Virginia in the Senate as a Democrat before registering as an independent in 2024, is working to support independent candidates for Congress. Manchin has stated he wants to create opportunities for politicians from both major parties to run as independents. The effort follows his own decision to leave the Democratic Party and pursue an independent political status.