Joe Manchin mulling bid for West Virginia governor

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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.

“Campaigns [are] the best part of politics. Can’t be any tougher than what I came through, an off-year election when they concentrated all their money against you,” Manchin said.

Current Gov. Jim Justice ran for the office in 2016 as a Democrat, but switched his party to Republican shortly after taking office in January 2017. He is seeking reelection in 2020.

If Manchin won the governorship, he would be able to make an appointment to his Senate seat. If he lost, he would be able to remain a senator.

Though he says that “Washington sucks,” Manchin said he has enjoyed his time in the Senate.

“It gives me a little bit more input. I think we can try to move things again. I think we can make the climate better and also work between the climate and the economy,” Manchin said.

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