Joe Manchin is launching a new independent network
Joe Manchin, a former west Virginia senator who served from 2010 too 2025 and switched from Democrat to Autonomous in 2024, is leading an effort to promote independent candidates through his Independent Leadership Council. His goal is to create a movement of centrists who can vote independently by strategizing to elect candidates in competitive races, aligning with a record-high 45% of Americans identifying as political independents. Manchin emphasizes that this movement is not about forming a third party but about electing individuals committed to independent voices who serve the center of politics. He has gained attention for his willingness to break from party lines, notably voting for Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation and criticizing radical shifts in Democratic ideology. The initiative builds on the work of his daughter, Heather Bresch, and aligns with efforts from groups like FreedomWorks. Manchin aims to foster a political environment where independents can influence policy and election outcomes, positioning this as a response to increasing polarization and partisanship.
Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is spearheading an effort to elect independent candidates through his Independent Leadership Council.
The council’s stated purpose is to strategize ways to elect independent candidates in competitive elections, and comes amid a recent Gallup poll that found a record 45% of Americans identify as political independents.
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Manchin’s political experiment was announced Thursday in the senator’s home state.
“We’re trying to build a true independent network,” said Manchin in an interview with Semafor. “Not a third party, but a movement of people that will bring our country and the people who are participating in politics today more towards the center.”
The 78-year-old Manchin served as a U.S. Senator from 2010 to 2025. While initially a Democrat, Manchin changed his party affiliation to Independent in 2024.
Manchin became well-known for his tendency to break away from the Democratic Party, which made him a crucial figure in deciding tight policy debates.
In 2018, Manchin was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, a key step toward Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Manchin has made recent headlines for claiming he told former President Joe Biden that his own staff was taking him too far to the left, and for his criticisms of the Democratic Party’s embrace of socialist ideology.
“We’re not trying to start another party,” said Manchin in an interview with CNN. “We’re trying to get a person who can be committed to — and totally committed to – being an independent with an independent voice. They can vote with Democrats and Republicans when they’re right and speak out against them when they’re wrong.”
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Manchin’s Independent Leadership Council combines work already done by Heather Bresch, who is Joe Manchin’s daughter. Bresch is known for serving as the CEO of Mylan, a major Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, and for her involvement with the centrist political nonprofit Americans Together.
Manchin’s efforts also combine with FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon’s Independent PAC, which has previously put millions of dollars behind independents, including Alaska’s Bill Hill and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA).
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