High-profile West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) may soon find himself in an uphill battle to hang onto his seat.
On Wednesday, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) said he plans to make an “important announcement” next week. In November, Morrisey signaled an interest in mounting a gubernatorial run or launching a second bid for the Senate in 2024.
“No matter what he decides to run for, Patrick Morrisey will be the candidate to beat,” West Virginia State Sen. Patricia Rucker told Fox News ahead of the announcement. “Patrick has demonstrated in all of the years I have known him that he is a fierce fighter, committed to his principles, and leadership like his is exactly what we need.”
Morrisey plans to make the announcement from Jefferson County, West Virginia, on April 4 and then launch a statewide tour to speak with voters, a source familiar with Morrisey’s plans told Fox News Digital.
Following Morrisey’s devastating 2018 defeat to Manchin by less than 20,000 votes, the Republicans told Fox News Digital that if he were to run for Senate again, it would be a “very, very smooth transition.”
When asked what would make him a better candidate should he decide to challenge Manchin a second time, Morrisey told Fox last year: “I think that the threats from the Biden administration against our freedoms are things that are fundamental to our state and our nation, and I’m out in front leading against them, fighting against them right now.”
“If I were to go into the U.S. Senate, we’d be ready on day one to take on the woke culture, to lead against the Green New Deal, to make sure that we’re keeping deadly fentanyl out of our communities,” he added. “Those are the things I’m doing now, and it would be a very, very smooth transition to advance those initiatives out of the U.S. Senate.”
West Virginia GOP Rep. Alex Mooney announced in November his plan to challenge Manchin in 2024.
Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is term-limited, is also rumored to be mulling a run for the Senate against Manchin.
Manchin, who is up for re-election in 2024, has yet to declare whether he will seek re-election to his seat in the upper chamber.
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Retirement for Joe B/Joe M can not come soon enough for America and the people of WV.