Manchin says he will not run for president

(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin told CBS on Monday he does not plan to run for president.

“I don’t need that in my life,” the West Virginia senator told CBS Mornings.

Manchin advocated on the show for a competitive process for the nomination.

The statement came following reports Sunday that Manchin was considering going back to the Democratic party and making a run for president.

Manchin announced in late May that he had registered as an independent with no party affiliation.

Manchin has been a Democrat chairing the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee.

Manchin chose not to run for re-election to the seat, with current West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice running as the Republican candidate against Democrat Glenn Eliiott after each won the West Virginia primary.

Justice, meanwhile, spoke out against Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate on Sunday.

“The only nominee worse than Joe Biden is Kamala Harris because together, their administration led our country to the chaos we currently face,” Justice wrote on his campaign account. “Kamala Harris will continue four more years of the Biden-Harris agenda of energy dependency, economic failure, rising crime, and a dangerous southern border.”