Joe Manchin Launches 1 Independent Council to Back Congressional Candidates
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 26
Joe Manchin Launches 1 Independent Council to Back Congressional Candidates
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 26
Summary
Joe Manchin and his daughter Heather have created the Independent Leadership Council, a nonpartisan nonprofit meant to recruit, endorse and financially support independent candidates for Congress this fall.
Manchin says the effort targets voter frustration with partisan gridlock and the two-party system, which he says pushed him to leave the Democratic Party in 2024.
The group plans to begin rolling out endorsements and funding for selected candidates this year, betting independents can gain traction despite past efforts' limited success.
Manchin argues his swing-vote role in the 117th Congress showed independents can force compromise, though he says winning recognition in the Senate could still be difficult.