Until recently, Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), was reportedly a candidate for the energy secretary position in President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Manchin made a statement Tuesday that he would not be pursuing a position in Trump’s Cabinet and would remain in the Senate. This announcement followed a statement by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that, “Joe Manchin is obviously running for a Cabinet spot.”
Who is Joe Manchin, and why would Donald Trump consider a Democrat for a critical Cabinet position?
Born in Farmington, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town, Manchin has spent his entire political career serving the people of West Virginia. He served as Secretary of State of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005, then Governor of West Virginia from 2005-2010, before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Manchin is the only U.S. congressman from West Virginia that is a Democrat.
His success in a predominately red-leaning state is due in large part to his conservative record and values. As a Blue Dog, a conservative Democrat, Manchin has broken with the Democratic Party on a few key issues and has worked closely with Senate Republicans on more than one occasion.
