Inside Joe Manchin's new quest to elect more Independents to Congress
Former Senator Joe Manchin is launching the Independent Leadership Council to support and elect independent candidates to Congress. The initiative aims to bypass the two-party system, which Manchin and his allies argue is fueling political polarization and gridlock.
Why it matters
This represents a significant effort to alter the structure of U.S. congressional politics by providing infrastructure for non-partisan candidates.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. – A year and a half after leaving office, former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is embarking on a new political chapter with an initiative designed to elect independents to Congress.
"The way the parties have weaponized the political process today, they make it impossible to have a 'D' or an 'R' next to your name and speak to the other side," said the former senator.
The Democrat-turned-independent , alongside his daughter Heather Manchin, is launching the Independent Leadership Council to support and elect independents. It combines the forces of her Americans Together organization and the Independent Center, a nonprofit that studies and engages with independent voters.
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