Joseph Manchin III, born in 1947, is the senior U.S. senator from West Virginia since 2010. He served as the state's governor and secretary of state. Manchin is known for his centrist views and has been the only Democrat representing West Virginia in Congress since 2021.
Joe Manchin, also known as Joseph Manchin III, was born on August 24, 1947, in Farmington, West Virginia, United States.
Senator Joe Manchin was born and raised in the small coal mining town of Farmington, West Virginia. He learned values such as family, common sense, fairness, and hard work from his upbringing. His grandfather, an Italian immigrant and town grocer, instilled the importance of serving the public, while his grandmother's compassion inspired his belief in public service.
On August 5, 1967, Joe Manchin married Gayle Conelly, whom he met at WVU.
In 1968, Joe Manchin's family experienced a tragedy when their furniture store burned down, followed by the death of his uncle in the Farmington Mine Disaster nine days later.
In 1970, Joe Manchin completed his bachelor's degree in business administration from West Virginia University.
In 1982, Joe Manchin won a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates, serving for a single term.
In 1986, Joe Manchin was elected to the West Virginia State Senate, holding that office from 1987 to 1997.
In 1990, Joe Manchin opposed a plan to sell off state-owned liquor stores in West Virginia, showing his resistance to reducing the size of state government.
In 1994, Joe Manchin threatened a filibuster to block a proposal to sell seven state-owned hospitals, including one in his Senate district, showcasing his commitment to certain state-owned institutions.
In 1996, Joe Manchin ran for governor of West Virginia but lost in the primary election.
In 2000, Joe Manchin won the election for the Secretary of State's Office in West Virginia.
In 2003, Joe Manchin announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2004, even before Governor Wise decided not to seek reelection.
In 2005, Joe Manchin assumed office as the Governor of West Virginia, serving until 2010 when he transitioned to the Senate.
On January 17, 2005, Joe Manchin III became a Senator, representing West Virginia. He served in this position until November 15, 2010.
In 2006, a mining disaster at the Sago Mine in Upshur County, West Virginia resulted in the death of more than forty miners. Governor Manchin appointed a committee to investigate the incident and proposed emergency response legislation.
In 2008, Joe Manchin won re-election as the governor of West Virginia.
Between approximately July 20, 2009, and July 10, 2010, the individual served as the Vice Chair at the National Governors Association.
In 2010, Joe Manchin was elected to the Senate after serving as the Governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010.
Joe Manchin appointed Carte Goodwin, his legal adviser, to the Senate on July 16, 2010, following the death of Senator Robert Byrd.
On July 20, 2010, Joe Manchin declared his intention to run for the Senate seat in a special election for the remaining term of Senator Robert Byrd.
In 2010, Joe Manchin won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Robert C. Byrd by defeating two opponents in the primary.
On November 2, 2010, Joe Manchin defeated Republican John Raese in the general election for the U.S. Senate seat.
On November 15, 2010, Joe Manchin was sworn into the United States Senate to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. Serving as West Virginia's Senator is considered an honor and privilege for Senator Manchin.
On June 21, 2011, Senator Manchin delivered a speech on the Senate floor advocating for a significant decrease in the United States' military presence in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need to prioritize America's interests over nation-building efforts in Afghanistan.
On November 6, 2012, Joe Manchin defeated John Raese once again for a full six-year term in the Senate.
In December 2014, Manchin was one of six Democratic senators who signed a letter urging the EPA to provide states more time to comply with power plant rules and eliminate 2020 targets in the final rule.
On January 8, 2019, Senator Manchin voted in favor of advancing a bill that imposed sanctions on the Syrian government and reinforced U.S. support for Israel and Jordan. The vote was part of efforts to end the federal government shutdown.
After the 2020 presidential election, Joe Manchin's influence in the Senate grew significantly as the Democrats took control with a 50-50 split and Vice President Kamala Harris's deciding vote.
On February 2, 2021, Joe Manchin announced his opposition to raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, suggesting a smaller increase and index-linking the wage.
On March 25, 2022, Joe Manchin announced his support for confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, which was the result of negotiations between Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Act incorporated some proposals from the Build Back Better Act while excluding its social safety net proposals.
Gayle Manchin, the wife of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, and Guy Land were hospitalized after a car accident in Alabama. They were traveling from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport to a hotel when the accident occurred. Joe Manchin stated that his wife is in stable condition but will remain hospitalized for a few days as a precaution.
Sen. Joe Manchin and his wife, Gayle Manchin, attended the State Dinner at the White House with President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On November 9, 2023, Joe Manchin declared that he will not run for re-election. He expressed his commitment to uniting the political center.
Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia held a breakfast meeting at the City Club of Cleveland as part of his voter engagement tour.
Gayle Manchin and her colleague, Guy Land, were injured in an accident in Birmingham while traveling from the airport to a hotel.
Gayle Manchin, the wife of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and a leader in economic development, along with a colleague, were both hospitalized after a car crash in Alabama.
During a City Club of Cleveland forum on February 15, 2024, Joe Manchin expressed his intention to choose either U.S. Senator Mitt Romney or former U.S. Senator Rob Portman as his running mate if he decided to run for president.
On February 16, 2024, Joe Manchin was mentioned in an article on e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. The article provides information about the prominent figure in West Virginia.
In March 18, 2024, Joe Manchin promised that infrastructure permitting reform would be approved.
On March 21, 2024, Joe Manchin declared that he would vote against nominees lacking bipartisan support.