Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is launching the Independent Leadership Council, a new effort to elect independent candidates to Congress that will focus first on competitive seats this election cycle.
“We’re trying to build a true independent network,” Manchin told Semafor. “Not a third party, but a movement of people that will bring our country and the people who are participating in politics today more towards the center.”
The project will combine work being done by Manchin’s daughter Heather at Americans Together and Independent PAC, an effort led by former FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon to put millions of dollars behind independents like California’s Kevin Kiley (a former Republican) and Alaska’s Bill Hill (who’s supported by Democrats).
Manchin, elected as a Democrat, left the party before retiring in 2024. Most of the chosen candidates will meet with donors and strategists in West Virginia this weekend.