‘PLENTY OF TIME’

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin Won’t Commit to Endorsing Biden

The West Virginia senator continued to toe the line between his party and slim chances for reelection on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Sen. Joe Manchin wants to “see who all the players are” before he commits to endorsing President Joe Biden for reelection. The West Virginia Democrat continued toeing the line on Sunday, a week after he refused to say if he identifies as a Democrat. “My main purpose right now is to work for my country and for my state,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation. “I’ve got plenty of time to make up my mind.” The moderate lawmaker skirted several attempts to pin down his positions, saying he’s saving it all for December, when he announces whether or not he’ll run for reelection to his own seat—or maybe even president. “I’ll make my political decision in December, whatever it may be,” he said. Manchin most recently won reelection in 2018 with a narrow plurality of the vote. He faces an increasingly uphill battle for reelection, with his state trending fast to the right in recent decades and incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Justice toying with running for the seat. In 2020, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito won her seat with 70 percent of the vote.