Joe Manchin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Manchin
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Official portrait, 2017
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| United States Senator from West Virginia |
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| In office November 15, 2010 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Carte Goodwin |
| Succeeded by | Jim Justice |
| Chair of the Senate Energy Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Lisa Murkowski |
| Succeeded by | Mike Lee |
| Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Maria Cantwell |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office July 11, 2010 – November 15, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Douglas |
| Succeeded by | Christine Gregoire |
| 34th Governor of West Virginia | |
| In office January 17, 2005 – November 15, 2010 |
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| Lieutenant | Earl Ray Tomblin |
| Preceded by | Bob Wise |
| Succeeded by | Earl Ray Tomblin |
| 27th Secretary of State of West Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 2001 – January 17, 2005 |
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| Governor | Bob Wise |
| Preceded by | Ken Hechler |
| Succeeded by | Betty Ireland |
| Member of the West Virginia Senate | |
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 1, 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Yanero |
| Succeeded by | Roman Prezioso |
| Constituency |
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| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 31st district |
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| In office December 1, 1982 – December 1, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Clyde See |
| Succeeded by | Duane Southern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Anthony Manchin III
August 24, 1947 Farmington, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (until 2024) Independent (2024–present) |
| Spouse |
Gayle Conelly
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 3, including Heather |
| Relatives | James Manchin (uncle) |
| Education | West Virginia University (BBA) |
| Signature |  |
Joseph Anthony Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman. He served as a U.S. Senator for West Virginia from 2010 to 2025. Before that, he was the 34th governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010. He also served as the 27th secretary of state of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005.
Manchin was the only Democrat from West Virginia in the U.S. Congress for a long time. In 2024, he changed his political party to become an Independent. Before he started in politics, he helped start a company called Enersystems, which deals with coal.
He won the election for governor in 2004 by a lot of votes. He won again in 2008 with even more votes. In 2010, he won a special election to become a U.S. Senator. He was reelected to a full term in 2012 and again in 2018. In all his Senate elections, he won by much larger margins than other Democrats running for president in West Virginia. He represented a state that usually votes for Republicans, even though he was a Democrat.
Manchin often described himself as a "centrist" or "moderate." This means he tried to find middle ground between different political ideas. He sometimes disagreed with his own party, the Democrats, on certain issues. For example, he didn't always support President Barack Obama's energy plans, especially those that limited coal mining. He also supported some of President Donald Trump's ideas, like building a wall at the border. However, he also voted against some of Trump's plans, like trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act (a healthcare law).
After the 2020 elections, the Senate was split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. This made Manchin a very important vote because Democrats needed his support to pass new laws. In November 2023, Manchin announced he would not run for reelection as a Senator. He later became an Independent and said he would not run for president in 2024.
As of 2025, Joe Manchin is the most recent Democrat to hold a statewide office in West Virginia.
Early Life and Education
Joseph Manchin III was born on August 24, 1947, in Farmington, West Virginia. This was a small town where coal mining was very important. He was the second of five children born to Mary and John Manchin. His family name, "Manchin," comes from the Italian name "Mancina." His father's family came from Italy, and his mother's family came from Czechoslovakia.
Manchin's father owned a store that sold carpets and furniture. His grandfather, Joseph Manchin, owned a grocery store. Both his father and his grandfather served as the mayor of Farmington. Manchin's uncle, A. James Manchin, was also a politician in West Virginia.
Joe Manchin finished Farmington High School in 1965. He went to West Virginia University on a football scholarship in 1965. However, he got an injury during practice, which ended his football career. He graduated in 1970 with a degree in business administration. After college, he started working for his family's business.
Business Interests
Enersystems Coal Company
In 1988, Manchin started a company called Enersystems. This company, located in Fairmont, West Virginia, bought and sold waste coal. Manchin was the president of Enersystems until 2000. When he entered politics, his son, Joe Manchin IV, took over the daily running of the company.
When Manchin was governor, he put his ownership in Enersystems into a "blind trust." This means he couldn't see or control how the company was managed. This helps prevent conflicts of interest. In 2020, he reported that his shares in Enersystems were worth between $1 million and $5 million. He also received a lot of money from the company as dividends.
Other Investments
Since becoming a U.S. Senator in 2010, Manchin has also reported owning part of a company called AA Properties. This company has invested in other businesses, including a hotel in Elkview, West Virginia.
Early Political Career
Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Joe Manchin had a long career in West Virginia politics. He was first elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1982 when he was 35 years old. The House of Delegates is like the state's version of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1986, he was elected to the West Virginia Senate, where he served for ten years until 1996. In 1996, he ran for governor but did not win the primary election for his party. After that, he supported the Republican candidate who won the election. In 2000, Manchin was elected Secretary of State of West Virginia. This job involves overseeing elections and keeping official state records.
Governor of West Virginia
In 2003, Manchin decided to run for governor of West Virginia. The current governor, Bob Wise, decided not to run again. Manchin won the Democratic primary and then the main election in 2004 by a large number of votes. This was the first time since 1964 that a West Virginia governor was followed by another governor from the same political party.
During his time as governor, Manchin faced some challenges. In 2006, there was a terrible mining accident called the Sago Mine disaster. Manchin mistakenly announced that 12 miners had survived, but only one actually did. He later said this was due to a misunderstanding with rescue teams. After more mining accidents, he ordered all coal production in West Virginia to stop temporarily for safety checks.
Manchin was very popular as governor. He easily won reelection for a second term in 2008. He won against Republican Russ Weeks with almost 70% of the votes, winning in every county in the state.
U.S. Senate
Becoming a Senator
2010 Special Election
In 2010, Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia passed away. There was a lot of talk about who Governor Manchin would choose to fill the Senate seat. Manchin said he would not appoint himself. On July 16, he chose Carte Goodwin, who was his legal advisor.
Soon after, on July 20, 2010, Manchin announced he would run in a special election to serve the rest of Senator Byrd's term. He won the Democratic primary election and then the special general election. He defeated Republican businessman John Raese with 53.5% of the votes.
2012 Election
Manchin ran for reelection for a full six-year term in 2012. He was very popular in early polls. He did not officially support President Barack Obama for reelection that year. Manchin said he had "real differences" with both major parties' candidates. He disagreed with Obama's economic and energy policies.
Manchin won the election against John Raese again, getting 61% of the votes.
2018 Election
In 2018, Manchin ran for reelection for his second full term. He faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from Paula Jean Swearengin, an activist. She criticized Manchin for sometimes voting with Republicans and supporting some of President Trump's policies. Manchin won the primary with 70% of the vote.
In the general election, he ran against Patrick Morrisey, the West Virginia Attorney General. Manchin won the election with 49.57% of the votes, a close race.
2024 and Beyond
In November 2023, Manchin announced that he would not run for reelection as a Senator in 2024. He said he would travel the country to try and bring Americans together. In May and June 2023, he did not say no to the idea of running for president as a third-party candidate.
On May 31, 2024, Manchin announced he was leaving the Democratic Party to become an Independent. He said both major parties were too extreme and were not helping West Virginia. He stated he wanted to "put country before party." Even as an Independent, he planned to stay part of the Senate Democratic Caucus. This allowed him to remain chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. Jim Justice won the West Virginia Senate seat that Manchin left.
Time in the Senate
Obama Years (2010–2017)
Joe Manchin was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on November 15, 2010. He took over from interim Senator Carte Goodwin. Manchin said in a 2014 interview that his relationship with President Obama was "fairly nonexistent." This showed he often had different views than the President, even though they were from the same party.
Trump Years (2017–2021)
During President Trump's time in office, Manchin voted with Trump's positions about half the time. He welcomed Trump's presidency, saying he hoped Trump would fix trade policies. Manchin voted to approve most of Trump's choices for his cabinet. He was often one of the few Democrats to vote for Trump's nominees.
Manchin voted to confirm Trump's first two Supreme Court nominees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. He was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh. However, he voted against Trump's third nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, because her nomination was very close to the presidential election. Manchin also voted to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials.
Biden Years (2021–present)
As of January 2023, Manchin voted with President Biden's positions about 88% of the time. Because the Senate was split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, Manchin's vote was very important. He had a lot of influence on what laws could pass.
In early 2022, news reports said Manchin spent a lot on private security. This was because he became a target for protesters who were upset that he blocked a big spending bill in the Senate. Protesters sometimes surrounded his car or his houseboat in Washington.
On March 25, 2022, Manchin announced he would vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
On November 9, 2023, Manchin announced he would not seek reelection in 2024. He said he would travel the country to create a movement to bring Americans together. In 2024, he changed his party to Independent. He later said he would not run for any office in 2024.
Committee Assignments
Senators work in committees to study bills and issues. Manchin was part of several important committees:
- Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money.
- He was on subcommittees for Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: He was the chairman of this committee. This means he led discussions and decisions about energy and natural resources.
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with military matters.
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs: This committee works on issues affecting military veterans.
Funding and Business Questions
From May 2020 to May 2021, Manchin received the most funding from the oil and gas industry compared to other senators. He also received money from people and groups connected to law and real estate.
In 2021, an ExxonMobil lobbyist said that Manchin was a key target for funding. The lobbyist claimed to have weekly meetings with Manchin. On September 30, 2021, a reporter asked Manchin about his company, Enersystems, and if it was a conflict of interest for him to oppose certain bills. Manchin replied that his company had been in a "blind trust" for 20 years, meaning he didn't know what they were doing.
Presidential Politics
In 2023, Manchin hinted that he might run for president. He held calls with supporters of a group called No Labels, which aims to support a third-party presidential candidate. He also met with leaders from Iowa, a state important for presidential elections. He said he wouldn't rule out running as a third-party candidate in 2024.
Manchin became a co-chair for the No Labels group. On July 17, 2023, he and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. led a town hall meeting for No Labels.
On February 15, 2024, Manchin said he would choose Senator Mitt Romney or former Senator Rob Portman as his running mate if he ran for president. However, the next day, on February 16, 2024, Manchin announced that he would not run for president.
After President Biden decided not to run for reelection in July 2024, Manchin showed interest in running at the Democratic National Convention. But he decided not to, saying he would have preferred an open contest. He later said he thought Governor Tim Walz would be a good choice for Vice President, but he did not formally endorse Kamala Harris for president.
Political Positions
Education
In February 2019, Manchin talked about a plan to change education in West Virginia. He said that lawmakers should have held more public meetings and discussions before trying to pass such a big change. He supports homeschooling and private schools. However, he does not support using public money to fund private schools.
Energy and Environment
Manchin often criticized President Barack Obama's environmental rules. He called them a "war on coal." He believed there needed to be a balance between protecting the environment and supporting the coal industry.
In June 2017, Manchin supported President Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris climate accord. He said he wanted a "cleaner energy future" but felt the Paris deal did not balance the environment and the economy well enough. In October 2021, a newspaper called The Guardian named Manchin one of the top "climate villains" in the U.S. They said he used his position to block climate laws to help the fossil fuel industry.
Federal Budget
Manchin has supported ideas to make sure the government's budget is balanced. He has also voted against increasing the amount of money the government is allowed to borrow.
Guns
Manchin worked with Republican Senator Pat Toomey to propose a bill that would have made background checks for gun sales stronger. This bill, known as the Manchin-Toomey bill, did not pass in 2013. In 2018, after a school shooting, Manchin said this bill should be the starting point for new gun control laws.
Health Care
In 2010, Manchin suggested making "repairs" to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. He wanted to get rid of the "bad parts." In 2017, he said he couldn't vote to repeal the ACA without a new plan ready to take its place. He was willing to work with President Trump and Republicans to create a new healthcare program.
In September 2017, Manchin said he was unsure if a single-payer healthcare system was the "right solution." He wanted the Senate to carefully consider all options. In January 2019, Manchin helped introduce a bill called the American Miners Act. This bill aimed to protect the pensions and healthcare of coal miners.
Immigration
Manchin has been against the DREAM Act, which would give a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. He supports building a wall along the southern border of the United States. He also voted against giving funding to "sanctuary cities." These are cities that limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
In June 2018, he spoke out against the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the border. In September 2019, he was the only Democrat on a Senate panel to vote for a bill that included $5 billion for building about 200 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senior Citizens
To help find missing senior citizens, Manchin introduced the Silver Alert Act in 2011. This act aimed to create a national system to find missing adults and seniors, similar to the AMBER Alert for children. He also supported a program called the National Yellow Dot Act. This program would help emergency workers quickly find personal and medical information for people involved in car accidents.
In 2014, Manchin discussed changes to Social Security, a program that provides money to retired people. He suggested that wealthier retired people might not get the same cost-of-living increases as others.
Economics
In 2018, Manchin was one of 17 Democrats who voted with Republicans to make some banking rules easier. These rules were part of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Manchin opposed President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He said it was a "closed process" and would not help people in his state much. He also opposed the government shutdown in January 2018. Some reports suggested he helped end the shutdown by saying he might not run for reelection if it continued.
In March 2019, Manchin supported a bill to fix a mistake in the tax law. This mistake made it harder for stores and restaurants to write off the costs of renovations. In February 2021, Manchin said he was against raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. However, he was open to a smaller increase, perhaps to $11, and suggested it should be linked to inflation so it wouldn't be a political issue again.
Veterans
In February 2017, Manchin helped introduce the HIRE Veterans Act. This law creates a program to recognize employers who do a good job of hiring military veterans. The law passed in April 2017.
In January 2019, Manchin supported a bill called the VA Provider Accountability Act. This bill aimed to make sure that serious problems with healthcare workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were reported. In July 2019, Manchin introduced a bill to help student veterans get in-state tuition rates at public schools. In August 2019, Manchin announced grants totaling over $7 million to help homeless veterans.
Legacy
From 2021 until he became an Independent in 2024, Joe Manchin was the only Democrat holding a major political office in West Virginia. Even though West Virginia has not voted for a Democratic president since 1996, Manchin held his U.S. Senate seat for many years.
In September 2018, GQ magazine called Manchin "the last Democrat in Trump country." In October 2021, a writer in The Guardian suggested Manchin was a "Democrat in name only" because he opposed some Democratic plans. In November 2023, the Associated Press called Manchin "the last in a line of formidable West Virginia Democrats who promoted coal interests."
Senator Jon Tester said that Manchin would be remembered as someone who was "difficult to work with, but got a lot of things done." Journalist Burgess Everett said Manchin's "name is now synonymous with any single member of Congress who's willing to hold up an entire party's agenda."
Personal Life
Joe Manchin is a member of the National Rifle Association and is a licensed pilot. He married Gayle Heather Conelly on August 5, 1967. They have three children: Heather Manchin Bresch, Joseph IV, and Brooke.
Manchin is Catholic.
In 2006 and 2010, Manchin gave speeches at Wheeling Jesuit University and Davis & Elkins College. He received honorary degrees from both schools.
In December 2012, Manchin expressed his dislike for an MTV reality show called Buckwild. The show was set in Charleston, West Virginia. He asked the network to cancel the show, saying it showed West Virginia in a negative and unrealistic way. The show ended after its first season.
Manchin lives on a houseboat in the Potomac River when he is in Washington, D.C.
Images for kids
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Manchin speaks during the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, in his capacity as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
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See also
In Spanish: Joe Manchin para niños
