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Joe ManchinDEMDemocrat United States Senator
76
Years of Age
37
Years of Experience
WVResidence (state)

Joseph Manchin III (MAN-chin; born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. Manchin was the 34th governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010 and the 27th secretary of state of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005. He became the state's senior U.S. senator when Jay Rockefeller left office in 2015 and has since been West Virginia's only congressional Democrat. Before entering politics, Manchin helped found and was the president of Enersystems, a coal brokerage company his family owns and operates.Manchin won the 2004 West Virginia gubernatorial election by a large margin and was reelected by an even larger margin in 2008. He won the 2010 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by incumbent Democrat Robert Byrd's death with 53% of the vote, and in 2012 was elected to a full term with 61% of the vote. Manchin won a second term in 2018 with just under 50% of the vote. In both elections, he over-performed the Democratic presidential ticket by more than 40 percentage points. Since 2021, Manchin has been the only Democrat holding statewide or congressional office in West Virginia, and represents what is, by a large margin, the most Republican-leaning constituency of any Democrat in Congress.Manchin has called himself a "centrist, moderate, conservative Democrat" and is generally deemed the most conservative Democrat in the Senate. He opposed President Barack Obama's energy policies, including reductions and restrictions on coal mining; voted against cloture for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 (not voting on the bill itself); supported President Donald Trump's border wall and immigration policies; and voted to confirm most of Trump's cabinet and judicial appointees, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh. On the other hand, Manchin voted against repeated attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, voted to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials, voted against Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and was a Senate sponsor of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

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Campaign Funding

20
18
$9,375,411
Total Raised
$8,872,881
Total Spent
$2,290,829
Cash on Hand

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education3 - 3 of 1
West Virginia University
BA Business Administration
1970
Past Positions1 - 8 of 8
Vice Chair
Democratic Policy & Communications Committee, United States Senate
2017 - Current
Senator
United States Senate, West Virginia
2010 - Current
Governor
State of West Virginia
2005 - 2010
Secretary of State
State of West Virginia
2000 - 2004
Senator
West Virginia State Senate
1986 - 1996
Delegate
West Virginia House of Delegates
1982 - 1986
Owner
Enersystems Incorporated
Owner
Manchin's Carpet Center
Other Experience1 - 31 of 31
Chair
National Governors Association
2010
Chair
Democratic Governors Association
2008
Chair
Southern States Energy Board
2007
President
Rescue Squad, Marion County
2000 - 2004
Member
Economic Development Board, West Virginia
1998 - 2001
Former Chair
Southern Governors Association
Former Chair
Natural Resource Committee, National Governors Association
Member
Elks
Member
Eagles
Former Member
Executive Committee, National Governors Association
Former President
Council of State Governments
Former State Co-Chair
Appalachian Regional Commission
Member
Airport Authority, Marion County
Member
Knights of Columbus
Chair
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Former Member
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, United States Senate
Former Member
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, United States Senate
Former Member
Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Homeland Security, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Water and Power, United States Senate
Former Member
Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans, United States Senate
Former Member
Armed Services Committee, United States Senate
Former Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Airland, United States Senate
Member
the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Member
the Senate Committee on Armed Services
Member
the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs