Senator Joe Manchin III

08/27/2026

Seats in Congress don’t belong to the elected members or their political parties — they belong to the people who elected them. But the parties have hijacked the political process, demanding party loyalty over everything else. They don’t care about the issues everyday Americans are facing — they just care about holding onto power through the next election. The time is now to restore competition and sanity to U.S. politics, and the Independent Leadership Council is helping true Independents get elected to Congress and bring common sense to Washington. https://independentleadershipcouncil.com/

08/26/2026

Independent leadership isn’t about standing alone. It’s about having the freedom, and the leverage, to bring both sides together.

One independent vote can change the equation. I know because I’ve lived it. In a closely divided Congress, an Independent doesn’t have to be on the outside looking in. When neither party owns your vote, both sides have to earn it. That is real leverage—and used responsibly, it can bring Republicans and Democrats together to get things done.

That’s what we’re building with the Independent Leadership Council: leaders who answer to the people, work with both sides and put country before party.

Read more from The New York Times:

The former Democratic-turned-independent senator and his daughter are backing independent bids for the House and the Senate to try to weaken the two-party grip on the Capitol.

08/26/2026

Today, the world lost an incredible woman with a heart bigger than her home state of Tennessee. Dolly Parton used her God-given gifts to uplift the hearts and minds of millions of people through multiple generations. Dolly spoke to all of us through her music — it was genuine and from the heart.

She cared deeply about her state and Appalachia. She visited West Virginia in 2022 to celebrate her Imagination Library program, which makes free books available to children aged 0 to 5 in all 55 counties. We will forever be grateful for Dolly giving West Virginia children the gift of literacy.

Dolly was a world treasure. Gayle and I are praying for her family, friends, and her fans around the world as we mourn this tremendous loss.

08/25/2026

Our founding fathers never intended our government to be of the party, by the party and for the party. It’s supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people.

The two-party system has completely taken over the process. This won’t be fixed from inside the parties — we have to force change from the outside. The Independent Leadership Council is building the infrastructure for true Independents to get elected to Congress and put their constituents and our country first. https://independentleadershipcouncil.com/

08/21/2026

What a way to celebrate 250 years of this great country by going 165 mph down Independence Avenue. Driving fast is a special kind of freedom, and I’m thankful that INDYCAR has brought this important part of American culture to our Nation’s Capital. If only George Washington could have experienced this!

08/19/2026

Gayle and I are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our friend and West Virginia basketball legend, Willie Akers.

I first knew Willie from the “Golden Era” of WVU basketball as a kid. We didn’t know how lucky we had it when we got to watch Willie Akers and Jerry West dominate the hardwood in Morgantown.

I had the opportunity to work with Willie as Governor and U.S. Senator when he was serving on the Logan County Commission. Willie truly loved Logan County, and although he was larger than life, he was humble, kind, and willing to do anything to help move Logan County forward. I truly felt like one of the richest people in West Virginia to have the opportunity to get to know Willie and consider him as a friend.

Please join Gayle and me in praying for Willie's wife, Linda, his family, and the many people throughout Logan County, West Virginia, and beyond whose lives Willie touched as we mourn the loss of a West Virginia legend.

08/06/2026

Despite the fact that a majority of American voters (47%) identify as Independent, America has never elected a true Independent to Congress.

That's a sign of a broken system — a system that's been rigged by the two major political parties to make elections uncompetitive.

Americans from across the political spectrum are tired of Washington politics. They want solutions to real problems they face every day — including healthcare, housing affordability, and inflation.

If we could get a handful of Independent representatives in Congress, they could force both parties to come back to the table, deliver real solutions for Americans, and actually do the jobs they were elected to do. The Independent Leadership Council is leading the charge to spark a new era of independent-minded leadership.

08/04/2026

The two major political parties have all but assured the outcome of the most consequential elections in America.

In the last presidential election, there were only seven battleground states. That means the outcome of 43 states was predetermined. Out of 435 congressional seats, 395 were predetermined.

There’s no competition in the primary system because the parties prevent competition from happening. Closed primaries push the most extreme, partisan candidates to the top — and leaves the majority of Americans feeling stuck with two bad choices.

Americans have had enough. The Independent Leadership Council is bringing in a new generation of independent-minded leadership that’s ready to get sh*t done.

07/29/2026

Bill Mazeroski was my childhood hero. I remember just like it was yesterday watching on TV as Maz stepped up to the plate in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. He smacked a home run to walk it off and give the Pirates their third World Series championship. It remains today as the best moment in Pirates history. You could practically hear the celebration all the way in Farmington that night.

Today, I saw Bill’s statue in Pittsburgh and thanked him for the fond memories he made that night for so many of us in West Virginia.

07/28/2026

My heart is in Washington today as we celebrate the life of my friend and former colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and anyone who was lucky enough to call him a friend. Lindsey truly was something special, and I'm thankful for his friendship and his decades of service to our country.