Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia on Tuesday faced his first 2024 Republican challenger — Rep. Alex Mooney — as other GOP politicians in the state weigh whether to take on the moderate Democrat.
“West Virginia values, I believe, are at risk in this country, and until we take that U.S. Senate seat back and, frankly, get Manchin out of there — he’s been a chief enabler of Joe Biden,” Mr. Mooney said Tuesday in a radio interview with MetroNews Talkline. “I know in the past he’s held back some stuff, but lately he’s been Biden’s chief enabler. Frankly, he’s a liberal Democrat. West Virginia doesn’t deserve that anymore. It has to be changed. The time is now.”
West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore told The Washington Times on Monday that he also is mulling a bid against Mr. Manchin, suggesting he may soon issue an announcement of his own.
“I’m keeping all my options on the table. That is certainly one of them. … We’re going to be taking a look, and I think people are going to learn pretty soon what I’m going to end up running for,” Mr. Moore said. “I’ve known him for a very, very long time. I get along with him personally. I think he’s certainly made some mistakes that are hurting West Virginia.”
Other West Virginia Republicans considering a run include state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Gov. Jim Justice.
Mr. Manchin, who is in his second term, has been a crucial swing vote in a 50-50 split Senate and helped pass President Biden’s infrastructure and inflation initiatives.
Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon told The Times in a statement that a “robust democratic process has never been more important to our country, and Sen. Manchin encourages every candidate who values public service to enter the race.”