×

In a Blue Funk: Manchin’s retirement from U.S. Senate creates Democratic hole on West Virginia ballot

(Capitol Notes - Graphic Illustration/MetroCreative)

CHARLESTON — With U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin announcing his retirement last month from the U.S. Senate when his term ends in 2024 and most of the focus on the Republican primary for Manchin’s seat, attention is now turning to what Democratic candidates will take up his mantle.

Manchin, D-W.Va., announced in November that he would not seek re-election to a third six-year term to the Senate. Instead, Manchin will travel the nation to find ways to mobilize political independents and moderates.

The impending retirement of the state’s senior senator leaves his seat wide open. The Cook Political Report considers the seat a solid Republican pick-up. Gov. Jim Justice and 2nd District Congressman Alex Mooney are the two Republican frontrunners in the GOP primary taking place in May 2024. In a state where the remaining Congressional delegation is Republican and where all statewide offices are in GOP hands, political prognosticators see Manchin’s seat going to a Republican.

But Democratic leaders in West Virginia have no plans to surrender the seat without a fight, with one candidate already in the race and another considering it. The chairman of the state Democratic Party — Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha — said he is confident the party will coalesce around a candidate who can competitively take on whoever the Republican nominee might be.

“We’re confident that whoever comes out of the Democratic primary will be head and shoulders above Alex Mooney or Jim Justice,” Pushkin said.

“West Virginians want, deserve, and expect a Senator who will fight for them, not just the top one percent,” Pushkin continued. “They want a Senator who will protect Social Security, not dismantle it. They want to send someone to Washington who’s committed to being a Senator, not just having the title. And finally, they want someone who brings more to the job than a history of ethics complaints or a cute dog.”

According to a check of the Federal Election Commission website Wednesday, there remains only one Democratic candidate in the race. Zachary Shrewsbury, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Mercer County and a community organizer, filed for U.S. Senate in October.

“We are on a journey with this campaign,” Shrewsbury said at a second campaign kick-off event in Morgantown last week. “Our journey towards a prosperous future must begin with unwavering commitment to the working class. Let us unite to eradicate the shackles of exploitation and build a nation where the fruits of our labor benefit the people and not the wealthy elite.”

While Manchin identifies as a moderate West Virginia Democrat, Shrewsbury is running to Manchin’s left as a progressive. Shrewsbury identifies as a candidate of the working class, supporting a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, reproductive rights, and rights for the LGBTQ community.

“West Virginia, like the rest of this country, has seen the unequal distribution of wealth and power. In fact, we’ve probably seen it worse than most,” Shrewsbury said. “The few have prospered, while the many toil in hardship. It is now our duty to challenge injustice, to demand the workers of West Virginia receive our fair share.”

While he has not announced an official candidacy, Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said Tuesday night that he is seriously considering a U.S. Senate run after talking with fellow mayors.

“The short answer is yes – mostly from fellow mayors around the state following Senator Manchin’s decision not to seek re-election,” Elliott said. “I have been giving it my full consideration and hope to make a final decision in the coming weeks.”

Elliott, approaching the end of his second term as mayor of Wheeling after first being elected in 2016, is term-limited. A former legislative assistant to the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Elliott has spent much of his career as a lawyer, economic development enthusiast, and preservationist.

The candidate filing period to appear on West Virginia’s primary election ballot begins Jan. 8 through midnight Jan. 27. The party primaries take place May 14 with early voting open May 1 and May 11.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today