West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) didn't wait to retire in January of 2025 before leaving his longtime Democratic Party. The longtime senator has registered as a political independent, a move long predicted, though a slap in the face to his colleagues on the way out the door.

Manchin, who infamously held up President Joe Biden's green energy agenda after Democrats narrowly took the Senate in the 2020 election, said in a statement that he changed his political party registration at the West Virginia State Capitol Friday morning.

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“From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens,” Manchin said in a statement obtained by Fox News.

During his final six-year term, the former Democrat was stalked by far-left climate activists on his boat and during panels where they would curse at him or lead chants calling on him to resign. Ironically, if their wish had come to pass, progressives would have seen the conservative Republican governor Jim Justice appoint Manchin's replacement. Instead, they relied on Vice President Kamala Harris to cast a tie-breaking vote when they could not get Sen. Manchin to agree to the Democrats' agenda at all.

“However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”

The state's popular Gov. Justice is running to replace Manchin in the Senate, virtually guaranteeing a pickup for Republicans in November – unless Manchin launches an independent bid for the seat. Control of the Senate hinges on outcomes in a number of states that Biden won in 2020, including Pennsylvania and Ohio, where polls now show him trailing former President Donald Trump or hanging on to a slim lead within the margin of error. Other Republican nominees, including Arizona's Kari Lake, add fuel to arguments by conservatives that the Senate could fall into MAGA hands next year, especially since longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he would retire as well.

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