Joe Manchin returned to the political stage Thursday with the launch of the Independent Leadership Council, a new organization he is running alongside his daughter Heather aimed at recruiting, supporting and funding independent candidates in competitive congressional races ahead of November's midterms.
The announcement came at an event in West Virginia, with several candidates in attendance.
"We're not trying to start another party," Manchin told CNN. "We're trying to get a person who can be committed to, and totally committed to, being an independent with an independent voice. They can vote with Democrats and Republicans when they're right and speak out against them when they're wrong."
The council is partnering with Independent PAC, led by former FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon, which has already committed millions of dollars to independent candidates including California's Kevin Kiley, a former Republican now running as an independent in a Democratic-leaning open seat, and Alaska's Bill Hill.
A Gallup poll released earlier this month found a record 45 percent of Americans now identify as political independents, the highest in the survey's history and the tailwind Manchin is betting on.
Manchin, 78, served in the Senate from 2010 to 2025, first as a Democrat, then registering as an independent before retiring. He left office frustrated with both parties and spent 18 months largely out of the public eye before Thursday's announcement. He is not running for any office himself.