Joe Manchin is back in the political arena — not as a candidate, and, he insists, not as the founder of a third party. His new vehicle is the Independent Leadership Council, and searches for it spiked as CNN detailed the plan on July 24. Here is what it actually is.

What the Independent Leadership Council Is

The council is an effort to recruit and back independent candidates for Congress. Rather than trying to compete everywhere, it plans to focus first on competitive seats in this election cycle — places where an independent might genuinely win rather than merely spoil.

Manchin is running it alongside his daughter, and framed the candidate profile this way:

“We’re trying to get a person who can be committed to — and totally committed to — being an independent with an independent voice. They can vote with Democrats and Republicans when they’re right and speak out against them when they’re wrong.”
— Joe Manchin, to CNN

“We’re Not Trying to Start Another Party”

That distinction is the heart of the pitch. American third parties have a long record of failing structurally; Manchin’s bet is different — support individual independents inside the existing system instead of building a party apparatus. The council’s theory: independents can “fill the gaps” between the two major parties and force accountability by denying either side automatic votes.

Where It Has Started

  • West Virginia: the kickoff convening of candidates — Manchin’s home turf.
  • A notable attendee: California Rep. Kevin Kiley.
  • Montana and Iowa: independent-candidate activity there signals the model’s growing appeal in states where one party dominates.

Why Manchin, and Why Now

Manchin spent his final Senate years as arguably the chamber’s most-watched swing vote — a Democrat from deep-red West Virginia who left the party in 2024 to register as an independent, then declined to seek reelection after serving from 2010 to early 2025. The council is the institutional version of the role he played personally: the vote neither party could take for granted. Whether that model can be recruited, funded and elected at scale is exactly what this cycle will test.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Independent Leadership Council?

Joe Manchin’s new effort to elect independents to Congress, starting with competitive seats this cycle, run with his daughter.

Is it a third party?

No — “We’re not trying to start another party,” Manchin says. It backs candidates, not a party structure.

Who has been involved so far?

A West Virginia kickoff convening, attended by California Rep. Kevin Kiley, with independent activity in Montana and Iowa.

Is Manchin still in the Senate?

No — he served 2010 to early 2025, left the Democratic Party in 2024 to become an independent, and did not run again.

Details and quotes per CNN and Yahoo News, July 24, 2026; Manchin’s party history per The Hill. Photo: official US Senate portrait of Joe Manchin, public domain.