West
Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced Tuesday he will not run for governor, ending speculation on whether the moderate Democrat would challenge a Trump-backed incumbent in his deep-red home state.
"Ultimately, I believe my role as U.S. senator allows me to position our state for success for the rest of this century," he said in a statement, pledging to work on energy legislation and steer federal dollars to West Virginia from his perch on the appropriations committee.
The 72-year-old senator previously served as governor from 2005 to 2010, calling it the greatest honor of his life, before leaving for the Senate.