Manchin Attending New Hampshire’s ‘Politics & Eggs’—Typically Reserved For Presidential Candidates
By Sara Dorn, Forbes
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will participate in a New Hampshire forum that’s a staple for presidential candidates—fueling speculation he could launch his own last-minute run for the White House after announcing he won’t seek reelection next year.
Manchin will speak at the New England Council and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics’ “Politics & Eggs” series on Jan. 12, the groups announced Thursday.
The announcement gives a nod to the nonprofit political organization called Americans Together that Manchin recently founded with his daughter, former pharmaceutical executive Heather Manchin, to promote centrist policies and “stand against extremism in politics,” according to its newly launched website.
Manchin’s New Hampshire visit, about a month before the state’s presidential primary, kicks off a national listening tour for Americans Together.
Manchin, who is notorious for keeping decisions about his political future close to the vest and entertaining various possibilities about his plans, announced Nov. 9 he would not run for reelection as he likely would have faced a tough general election challenge from the Republican nominee. The state’s popular Republican governor, Jim Justice, is running for the GOP nomination against Rep. Alex Mooney in the deeply conservative state. For months, Manchin has teased a presidential run, leaving the Democratic Party, and running for president as an independent candidate. He has not committed to supporting President Joe Biden in the general election, but has also said he would not vote for former President Donald Trump.
$100 million. That’s how much Americans Together is telling donors it wants to spend on its new endeavor, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Manchins’ political organization is not affiliated with the political group No Labels, which has forged ties with Manchin and is weighing backing an alternative presidential candidate, raising fears among Democrats that it could siphon votes from Biden.