Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) has announced he will not be seeking the presidency and defiantly dismissed the idea of being Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate when asked by CBS Mornings on Monday. Following the announcement that President Joe Biden will not be seeking reelection, he endorsed Harris as his successor at the top of the ticket. Manchin said, “I am not going to be a candidate for president. I am a candidate for basically speaking to the middle of this country.
Manchin also appeared on CNN’s This Morning with Kasie Hunt, where he firmly dispelled any speculation that he might run alongside Harris. Hunt asked, “Would you consider being Kamala Harris’s vice president?” Manchin quickly responded with a firm “No”, stating that it is a new generation and that a 76-year-old vice president is not desired at the moment.
Harris’s position as the frontrunner for the nomination has been strengthened by endorsements from key rust belt state governors, President Joe Biden, and former First Lady Hillary Clinton. However, she has not yet received backing from prominent figures such as former President Barack Obama or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.
Although Harris is the favorite to secure the nomination with no apparent challenger at present, there are several names being considered for potential vice presidential candidates to run alongside her. These include Governors Andy Beshear (D-KY), Roy Cooper (D-NC), Gavin Newsom (D-CA), JB Pritzker (D-IL), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI. Additionally, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) have also endorsed Harris.
The decision regarding the Democrat presidential nominee will be made by 4,600 delegates at the convention, rather than the millions of voters who either supported Biden or one of the lesser-known Democratic candidates in the primary, such as Rep. Dean Phillips or self-help guru Marianne Williamson, or those who chose to stay at home during the Democratic primary due to a lack of a true challenger against the incumbent president.