On Thursday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) declared that he will not run for re-election in 2024.

This decision significantly increases the likelihood of Republicans securing the Senate seat in the upcoming elections in the predominantly conservative state.

“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate,” Manchin, 76, said in a statement. “But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”

Having served in the Senate since 2010, Manchin was widely regarded as the most susceptible Democratic senator leading up to the 2024 elections.

Until Thursday, he stood as the sole Democratic incumbent who had yet to disclose his plans for 2024, The Hill reported.

Initially anticipated later in the year or nearer to the January filing deadline, his announcement confirms Democrats’ concerns.

Throughout the past year, Democrats consistently asserted that Manchin was their only viable candidate to contend in the deeply conservative state.

With his decision not to seek re-election, the Senate seat is now almost assuredly poised to shift into Republican control.

Written by B.C. Begley