Senate Republicans stress Manchin is a ‘Biden Democrat’

The Senate Republican campaign arm launched a new 30-second ad spot Friday labeling Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) a “Biden Democrat.”

“You know what they say: If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck. Same goes for Joe Manchin,” the narrator began in the ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), before cutting away to Manchin in three separate sound bites. 

The first two include Manchin saying he identifies as a Democrat. The third has Manchin saying he’s “forever grateful” to President Biden.

“Joe Manchin talks like a Democrat. Joe Manchin votes like a Democrat. Joe Manchin is a Democrat, and West Virginians have had to pay the price,” the narrator in the ad says. “Tell Joe Manchin, stop ducking the truth. Admit it: You’re a Biden Democrat.”

The ad comes as Manchin’s political future remains uncertain. Manchin is up for reelection in 2024, but has not yet announced whether he is running again for his Senate seat. He faces a tough challenge from the state’s popular governor, Jim Justice, who was previously a Democrat.

Justice is favored in his GOP primary against Rep. Alex Mooney (W.Va.). Though former President Trump endorsed Mooney in his 2022 House race, Trump endorsed Justice in the Senate primary earlier this month.

Polls have Manchin trailing Justice in a hypothetical match-up for the Senate seat in 2024. 

Rumors have also circulated about a potential third-party White House bid for Manchin, a conservative Democrat from a state that voted for Trump over Biden by a double-digit margin in the last election. 

Manchin has teased the prospect of an independent bid and has appeared at an event hosted by No Labels, an organization floating a moderate challenge in the 2024 presidential race. 

Some warn that a third-party campaign could hurt President Biden’s chances of reelection, but Manchin has denied that suggestion. 

“I don’t see that favoring either side because you just can’t tell how this is going to break,” he said in August of an independent run. “If come January and February of next year these are still the main contenders, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, that’s a whole other scenario.”  

“If they are not — and it could break between now and then — that changes the game completely,” Manchin continued. “The bottom line is, ‘Will the middle speak up? Does the middle have a voice?’”

The Hill has reached out to Manchin’s office for comment on the new NRSC ad.