This Democrat says he's not leaving the Dem party — at least not right now

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Sen. Sinema’s decision to ditch Democrats was a ‘smart move’: Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn reacts to Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s controversial decision to leave the Democratic Party and become an Independent on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

Shortly after a few members of the Democratic Party announced their departure to new political affiliation, moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., revealed that he will not be leaving the party — for now.

"I’ll look at all of these things. I’ve always looked at all those things, but I have no intention of doing anything right now. Whether I do something later, I can’t tell you what the future is going to bring," Manchin told a CNN reporter on Monday.

Manchin went on to support Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., in her recent exit from the party. "I tremendously respect her decision and wish her the best," the West Virginia senator said. "I want to work with Kyrsten every day, the same as I have before."

RETENTION ISSUES? POLITICAL STRATEGISTS WEIGH IN ON RECENT DEPARTURES FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.V., is up for re-election in 2024. (Jonathan Ernst)

"I’m not a Washington Democrat, I don’t know what to tell you," Manchin told reporters on Monday. "But I have a lot of friends who aren’t Washington Republicans, and if a Washington independent is, as I said, more comfortable, you know, we’ll see what happens there, we’ll have to look."

ARIZONA SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA LEAVES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, REGISTERS AS INDEPENDENT

After disagreements over President Biden's Build Back Better agenda in October 2021, Manchin made comments threatening to leave the party. 

"I said, me being a moderate centrist Democrat, if that causes you a problem, let me know, and I’d switch to be an independent. But I’d still be caucusing with Democrats," Manchin asserted.

The West Virginia senator is up for re-election in 2024, but has not announced if he will seek another term in the red state.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., speaks at a news conference after the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act at the Capitol Building on Nov. 29, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker)

The question was raised to Manchin just days after Sinema announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party and register as an independent.

Sinema's sudden departure sparked speculation that Manchin may be considering the same exit, after the two moderate senators worked together to oppose the Democrats attempt to reform the filibuster.

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Over the past several weeks, three elected Democrats left the party to register as either a Republican or an independent, including Arizona's Sinema, West Virginia state Sen. Glenn Jeffries and New York City Councilman Ari Kagan.