Manchin Launches Independent Leadership Council | Salt Lake City News

Salt Lake City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 24, 2026 · 1m

Joe Manchin, ex-West Virginia senator and former Democrat, is back in Washington with a bold new plan: he and his daughter Heather have launched the Independent Leadership Council to recruit and support independent congressional candidates. Their first meeting in West Virginia brought together unaffiliated hopefuls, aiming to inject more bipartisan, issue-driven voices into Congress. Manchin argues that with both major parties locked in partisan gridlock, independent lawmakers who prioritize compromise over party loyalty could force real progress. He cited his own history of crossing party…