Joe Manchin mulling bid for West Virginia governor

[mystery-ak]

Joe Manchin mulling bid for West Virginia governor
by Emily Larsen
 | April 07, 2019 04:57 PM



Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is thinking about running for governor in West Virginia in 2020, a position he called "the best job in the world."

“I think about it every minute of every day. Now, thinking about it and doing it are two different things,” Manchin told Politico in a report published Thursday. “I’ll make a decision this fall sometime. I don’t think there’s any hurry at all.”

Manchin previously served as governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010. He resigned from the post after being elected to the Senate. Manchin also considered running for governor in 2016, but decided against it.

Often called the most conservative Democratic senator, Manchin was narrowly reelected in 2018 with 49.6% of the vote. He earned about 19,400 more votes than Republican challenger Patrick Morrisey, who got 46.3%.

Despite just coming away from a tough campaign and representing a state that President Trump won in 2016 by about 42%, Manchin suggested he is not wary of another challenging race.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/joe-manchin-mulling-bid-for-west-virginia-governor

[mountaineer]

The sad thing is that he could get elected easily. People just love ol' Lyin' Flip-Floppin' which-way-is-the-wind-blowin' Joe. The current governor, Jim Justice, is an embarrassment. Elected as a Democrat, he switched to the Republican party a few months into his term, but no one in the WVGOP wanted anything to do with him. At least one county Republican committee has voted "no confidence" in the governor, FWIW.

[bilo]

The sad thing is that he could get elected easily. People just love ol' Lyin' Flip-Floppin' which-way-is-the-wind-blowin' Joe. The current governor, Jim Justice, is an embarrassment. Elected as a Democrat, he switched to the Republican party a few months into his term, but no one in the WVGOP wanted anything to do with him. At least one county Republican committee has voted "no confidence" in the governor, FWIW.

Thanks for the info.

My one thought was if Manchin became Gov. would there be an election to fill his senate seat, or does he appoint his replacement?

[mountaineer]

He couldn't name his replacement. There would be an election.

[bilo]

He couldn't name his replacement. There would be an election.

Then him leaving the Senate might not be so bad. The Pubs would have a good shot at picking up a seat. Who knows maybe even a conservative!

[mountaineer]

The last Republican who ran against Mojo - the current W.Va. Atty Gen - didn't fare so well. The cupboard seems a little bare right now.

[mountaineer]

The Deadbeat Billionaire: the Inside Story of how W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice Ducks Taxes and Slow Pays his Bills, from Forbes.