Inside Joe Manchin’s new quest to elect more Independents to Congress
Former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent two years ago, is launching a new group called the Independent Leadership Council alongside his daughter, Heather Manchin. The initiative aims to build a viable pathway for independent candidates to win seats in Congress, outside the traditional two-party system, at a time when a growing share of Americans no longer identify with either major party.
The council merges Heather Manchin's organisation, Americans Together, with the Independent Center, and will offer prospective candidates fundraising support, campaign infrastructure and data-driven analysis to identify winnable districts. Backers, including senior adviser Seth Cohen and former FreedomWorks leader Adam Brandon, have already secured eight-figure fundraising commitments and gathered around 40 people, among them independent Congressman Kevin Kiley and Iowa candidate Michael Bridgford, at a summit at West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort. Organisers point to polling showing 45% of Americans identify as independents, with the group also requiring that any independents it helps elect refuse to caucus with either Democrats or Republicans once in office.
In short
- Joe Manchin launches Independent Leadership Council with daughter Heather
- Aims to fund and elect independents unaligned with either major party
- Group has eight-figure backing and ~40 summit attendees so far
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that the two-party system has become dysfunctional and fails to represent the nearly half of Americans who identify as independents. Independent candidates operating outside partisan constraints could prioritise cross-party collaboration and legislative pragmatism over party loyalty. The requirement that elected independents refuse to caucus with either party ensures they remain accountable to voters rather than party machines, potentially revitalising Congress by rewarding candidates based on issues and constituent service rather than tribal affiliation.
The case against
Critics contend that fragmenting Congress would exacerbate legislative dysfunction rather than remedy it. Independents without party infrastructure struggle to build effective governing coalitions or pass legislation requiring majority support, and the prohibition on caucusing with either party creates practical impossibilities for legislative work. Manchin's own career illustrates the paradox: despite independent status, he required functional alignment with Democrats to legislate meaningfully. Additional independents could simply splinter voting blocs further, making effective governance harder.
Explained simply
Joe Manchin is a former United States senator from West Virginia who left the Democratic Party two years ago to become an independent. He is now launching a new political initiative called the Independent Leadership Council, working alongside his daughter Heather Manchin, to help elect independent candidates to Congress outside the traditional Democratic and Republican parties.
The effort comes as a growing number of Americans have stopped identifying with either major party. According to polling cited by the group, roughly 45% of Americans now identify as independents, suggesting there may be a significant constituency for candidates who do not belong to the two dominant parties.
The Independent Leadership Council will provide prospective independent candidates with fundraising support, campaign infrastructure and data analysis to help them win congressional seats. It has already attracted backing from various figures and secured substantial funding commitments, with the requirement that any candidates it helps elect remain independent in office rather than formally aligning with either party once they take their seats.
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