CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin was ranked by Nexstar national political outlet The Hill as one of the eight most vulnerable Senate Democrats on Monday.
Democrats kept control over the U.S. Senate during the 2022 midterm election, with 48 registered Democrats winning their races as well as two independents who caucus with Democrats.
According to The Associated Press, the Democrats will have to defend 23 Senate seats during the 2024 election while the Republicans will defend 10.
The Hill said that it ranked Manchin as one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats because he upset Democrats by refusing to support eliminating the filibuster and by refusing to support President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill, then later angered the GOP when he announced a deal with Sen. Maj. Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.
Not long after the Inflation Reduction Act passed, the Mountain Valley Natural Gas Pipeline stalled in the U.S. Senate despite the fact that Manchin made a deal with Congressional leaders and the White House to finish the pipeline. The pipeline would have brought an estimated $200 million a year in revenue to West Virginia, according to state officials.
Current House Rep. Alex Mooney, a Trump-endorsed Republican who represents West Virginia’s second congressional district, announced two weeks ago that he’s “all in” for Manchin’s seat in 2024. Last week, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said during a COVID-19 briefing that he is “seriously considering” a run for U.S. Senate.
The Hill‘s list also included Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Montana Sen. Jon Tester. Click here to read its article.