Manchin heads to New Hampshire amid talk of third-party run

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin will headline a New Hampshire event next week for the No Labels group, which seeks to mount a third-party campaign in the 2024 presidential election.

Other political notables joining him at the event include former Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, former North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, former Michigan GOP Rep. Fred Upton, and former South Carolina Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham, the Daily Mail reported.

While Manchin has not announced his 2024 plans, he faces a tough reelection in his home state of West Virginia, which has increasingly skewed toward the Republicans in recent years. A prospective third-party candidacy has prompted Democratic fears that such an effort could hand the contest to a Republican candidate.

Polling data has shown Americans are increasingly open to a third option in presidential contests, though more Democrats than Republicans appear interested in such an effort. 

New Hampshire is a critical primary state for both major parties and numerous candidates have already made the rounds seeking to shore up support for an early win in the months-long contests.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.