(ConservativeInsider.org) – In the latest poll of West Virginia voters, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is trailing behind Republican Governor Jim Justice by 13 points.
The survey of 539 West Virginia voters was conducted by Emerson College in early October and indicates that only 28% of voters support Manchin, while 41% support Justice. Over 30% of voters said they are either undecided or would vote for someone else in the case of a Justice vs Manchin matchup.
Gov. Justice currently has a 40% approval rating from voters and a 26% disapproval rating. This is significantly better than how President Joe Biden fares in West Virginia, with a 19% approval rating and over 70% disapproval rating. In the 2020 election, West Virginia voters overwhelmingly voted for former President Trump, giving him over 68% of the vote.
Manchin, who has long been a moderate Democrat, has recently stated that he is “seriously” considering leaving the Democratic party, calling the two-party system the potential “downfall of our country.” He has also suggested the possibility that he may run for president in 2024 under a third party, which Democrats have reprimanded him over potentially taken away votes from Biden.
Though Manchin has raised substantial funds this year for his potential re-election run, his fundraising in the third quarter was significantly lower than his second quarter fundraising, leading to concerns about his viability as a candidate. Sen. Manchin raised $1.3 million during the second quarter, though his fundraising in the third quarter was only $715,000. While his totals are lagging, they are still more impressive than Gov. Justice’s fundraising efforts, who only raised $613,000.
Another survey, conducted in May by the East Carolina University Center for Research, showed that Gov. Justice was leading Manchin with a 22 point advantage.
Manchin, who regularly proclaims that he is not a “Washington Democrat,” has not confirmed whether or not he plans to run again in 2024, and said he will likely not come to a decision before the end of the year.
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