Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reportedly is having difficulty committing to a reelection campaign in 2024.
According to Puck News, Manchin has "changed his mind multiple times" about next year's Senate prospects.
"He doesn't want to go out a loser," a source close to Manchin told Puck News. "He's paying very close attention to what [West Virginia Gov. Jim] Justice does."
In November, the governor hinted at jumping into the 2024 Senate race.
"I'm very seriously considering running for Senate: a lot of thinking and planning and everything and discussion ongoing with my family and lots of folks — but serious, serious consideration," Justice acknowledged then. "You'll know real soon."
Justice then added: "I'm sure [West Virginia residents will] be right with me; as they know without any question, I'll be right with them."
In 2018, Manchin held off Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, in the U.S. Senate race, outlasting the West Virginia attorney general by 0.3 percentage points and fewer than 20,000 votes.
However, next year could be a different dynamic for Manchin, whose deciding Senate vote last year reportedly pushed through the Inflation Reduction Act — a bill that was panned by West Virginia Republicans.
West Virginia might not be the only vulnerable spot for Senate Democrats in next year's elections.
According to the Washington Examiner, the seats currently held by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., could be flip opportunities for Senate Republicans in 2024.
Right now, the Democrats have a 51-49 seat advantage in the Senate, since independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona caucus with the Democrats.
Manchin is viewed as one of the Democratic Party's more moderate U.S. senators and has called himself a "centrist, moderate, conservative Democrat."
"For all of the problems [Manchin has] caused, he's a political anomaly and a real asset to Democrats," the source told Puck News.
However, one early poll in West Virginia, commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund, has Justice (52%) beating Manchin (42%) by 10 percentage points in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup.
Earlier this week, Newsmax chronicled how Manchin, 75, has ruled out a presidential run in 2024.
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