Senator Joe Manchin Is Quite Wealthy, Hasn’t Ruled Out Running for President

As a senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin has become quite a controversial figure in Washington. In December 2021, Manchin refused to back the Democrats’ $1.85 trillion proposal, also known as the Build Back Better plan. Then, in July 2022, Manchin stirred up additional controversy after he blocked another bill that tackled climate issues and healthcare costs.

Despite his political stance, Manchin has a hefty net worth.

Although Manchin isn’t nearly as rich as someone like Donald Trump who, oddly enough, doesn’t have much experience in politics, he has secured a decent salary as a senator and built himself a cushiony net worth. Let’s take a look at just how rich Senator Manchin is in 2023.

Throughout his time serving as senator, Manchin's annual salary has climbed significantly. Today, he earns an estimated salary of $700,000 per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In April 2021, his wife Gayle Manchin was confirmed to the post of federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, which pays $163,000 annually.

Currently, Manchin's net worth is estimated to be around $8 million.

In 1982, Manchin was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until 1986. From 1986 to 1992, he served as a West Virginia Senator for the 14th District, followed by a term from 1992 to 1996 serving the 13th District of the state.

After a failed campaign for governor in 1996, Manchin served as West Virginia’s secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. Senator Manchin won his bid for the office of governor of West Virginia, holding that office from 2005 until 2010, when he ran to take Senator Byrd’s vacated Senate seat.

The 74-year-old senator has been in his current office since 2010. He says that he's committed to working in a bipartisan manner, collaborating with Democrats and Republicans to bring real solutions, and serving on several committees. Manchin is up for re-election in 2024, which is ironically the same time for politicians to put in their bids for president.

During a March 2023 interview on CBS News' Face the Nation, Manchin didn't say whether he would endorse Biden in the upcoming run for president. He also didn't rule out putting his own hat in the running for the Oval Office seat.

In 2021, Manchin presented himself as somewhat of a stumbling block for several key aspects of Democratic proposals that were put on the table. He opposed paid leave for family and medical reasons, citing the need for Congress to be able to fund such a program. Since then, Manchin has managed to position himself as the deciding factor in many pieces of legislation.

Although Manchin hails from a Republican state, he's part of the Democratic party.

In the past, Manchin insisted, “I’m open to supporting a final bill that helps move our country forward, but I’m equally open to voting against a bill that hurts our country.” Obviously, Manchin has proven to be a man of his word.