West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin officially left the Democratic Party and filed as an independent on Friday, saying partisanship and a lack of compromise have left American politics broken.
Despite this move, Manchin is expected to continue to caucus with Democrats in the Senate and keep his chairmanship, which will help Democrats maintain their slim 51-49 majority.
Manchin, considered a centrist Democrat, served two terms as West Virginia’s governor before being elected to the Senate in 2010. In November, he announced that he wouldn’t seek re-election, sparking speculation that he might run for president as an independent. However, by February, Manchin stated that it wasn’t the right time to run for the presidency.
His surprise switch in party affiliation coincides with West Virginia’s June 1 deadline for changing party affiliation in time to run for office this fall. The deadline to file for governor or Senate is August 1st.
