Before becoming an independent earlier this year, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia had long been one of the more conservative Democrats in the upper chamber.
Manchin, who often laments the once-unshakable level of bipartisanship that was an earlier hallmark of the Senate, previously floated running for president — while criticizing President Joe Biden for some of his more left-leaning policies.
After Biden stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee last month, Manchin briefly opened the door for a potential campaign.
But Vice President Kamala Harris quickly secured support from Democratic leaders, and Manchin shut down the campaign idea.
Within days, Harris’ political stock soared and her campaign boasted a surge in enthusiasm and millions of dollars in donations.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Manchin praised his former Senate colleague.
“I’ve been surprised. She’s done some good things,” Manchin said of Harris’ early moves as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“She and I sat on the Intelligence Committee for one year together, side by side. So we were very close, worked well together,” he continued. “She’s very bright, very smart.”
Manchin said Harris — who had a distinctly liberal legislative record when she served in the Senate — has energized the campaign.
“What she’s been able to do in three weeks has been amazing. I think she’s put a vivacious energy to this campaign,” he said. “[S]he’s got people fired up.”
Manchin also complimented Harris’ shift on fracking. As a 2020 presidential candidate, Harris backed a ban on the oil and gas drilling technique. But her campaign said late last month that she would not support a fracking ban.
“[N]ow, facing this leadership as one of the most powerful people in the world, she’s looking at where we stand on energy, and I’m happy for that,” Manchin said.
The senator, who has served in the upper chamber since 2010, declined to run for reelection in November.
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