Joe Manchin: ‘This is crazy’ as former West Virginia senator launches independent leadership committee
Qianxi virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is launching the Independent Leadership Council, a new effort to field independent candidates for Congress, with an initial focus on districts that are hotly contested this election cycle.
“We’re trying to build a truly independent network,” Manchin Said in an interview with Semafor. “Not a third party, but a people’s movement that will bring our country and the people involved in politics today closer to the center.”
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Initiative will incorporate efforts of Manchin’s daughters Heather Americans for Independence PAC, led by former FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon. The initiative aims to allocate millions of dollars to support independent candidates such as California Rep. Kevin Kiley, a former Republican seeking re-election as an independent; Seth Bodnar, an independent Senate candidate from Montana; and Michael Bridgeford, an independent House candidate from Iowa. The organization is also considering holding races in Alaska and Washington.
Manchin was elected as a Democrat and left the party before retiring in 2024. Most of the selected candidates plan to hold meetings with donors and strategists in West Virginia this weekend.
The move comes amid growing dissatisfaction with both major parties, as a Gallup poll released earlier this year showed a record 45% of U.S. adults now consider themselves political independents.
“They can bring them to their knees,” Joe Machen said
In several states, independent congressional candidates are receiving significant funding and attracting the attention of major party opponents. With the House and Senate so divided, the Manchin family believes independent representatives could wield significant influence in the next Congress.
“It doesn’t take a lot of people to say, ‘Come on, everybody, let’s do it,'” Manchin said, according to CNN. “They can bring them to their knees and make people understand, ‘This is crazy.'”
The Manchins said the summit will open a dialogue with candidates; however, if they choose to support the plans, they can actively campaign on their behalf, raise funds and help organize efforts in their respective districts. They believe that if they can help a candidate secure the November election, their influence could extend to the upcoming presidential election.
Former pharmaceutical executive Heather Manchin called the move “a pilot project, an experiment to prove that it works, and if it proves successful, I believe there’s no limit to what can be achieved,” CNN reported.
