Sen. Joe Manchin’s announcement that he would not run for reelection did not rule out a third-party run against President Biden, an idea with which he has long flirted.
Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, says he’s not worried about it.
“I’m not terribly worried about him running as a third-party candidate,” Mr. Murphy said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “If he does, he probably draws more votes from Donald Trump than he does from Joe Biden.”
The decision by Mr. Manchin, a conservative West Virginia Democrat, to not seek reelection boosted Republican hopes of retaking the Senate. The Senate seat will likely go to Republican Gov. Jim Justice, forcing Democrats to hang on to seats in several battleground states.
Mr. Murphy was optimistic.
“You know, two years ago people didn’t think that we could hold the United States Senate. We had to essentially win every single competitive race,” he said. “But we did, in part because the Republican candidates were — and still are — wildly extreme. Our candidates were really excellent, and that dynamic is still in play in 2024.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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