US centrist Democrat senator Joe Manchin has taken part in a political meeting organised by a group working to have a third-party candidate take part in the 2024 president election.
However, he said it is too early to say whether he will enter the race for the White House.
Mr Manchin, a senator from West Virginia, took part a town hall event in New Hampshire on Wednesday organised by the No Labels group, along with a former Republican governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman.
The event was aimed at promoting what is essentially a No Labels election manifesto.
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No Labels is seeking to have a third-party candidate – separate from the Democrats and Republicans – on the presidential ballot in all states in 2024. However, it has said that it will not make a final decision on whether to run a candidate until next spring.
Mr Manchin’s appearance at the No Labels town hall event has fuelled speculation he could break with the Democrats and run for the White House himself. His term as senator for West Virginia expires next year. and he has not yet said whether he plans to run again for the seat.
Political commentators in Washington are generally of the view that the entry of a No Labels candidate into the presidential contest would be of more harm to the re-election prospects of Joe Biden than his Republican opponent.
Some Democats are increasingly concerned about the impact of a third-party candidate and have suggested such a move could swing the contest in favour of Donald Trump, the current frontrunner to secure the Republican nomination.
Mr Manchin said he had not made a decision about running for the presidency. However, he rejected any suggestion that he would potentially be a “spoiler” if he took part.
“I’ve never been in any race I have ever spoiled, I’ve been in races to win and if I get in a race I’m going to win. With that being said, I haven’t made a decision.”
Mr Manchin argued the Republican Party had “gone too far right” and Democrats “too far left”. He said pushing the big party presidential candidates to the centre “can’t be done unless they’re threatened”.
“The only way you can threaten is have people out there that say: listen, either side can’t win without the independent (voter) ... that centre-left, centre-right, an independent Republican, an independent Democrat.”
No Labels has described its efforts to secure a place on the presidential ballot in states across the country as an “insurance policy” against a re-run of the 2020 election between Mr Biden and Mr Trump. It has already secured access to the presidential ballot in Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Utah and Colorado.
In its manifesto, called Common Sense, the No Labels group backed the right of Americans to bear arms but suggested the purchase of weapons for those under 21 should be prohibited and called for the introduction of universal background checks on those seeking to buy guns.
It said the United States must immediately regain control of its borders and stop releasing migrants who enter the country illegally. But it also proposed a path to citizenship be put in place for people brought into the US as children as well the introduction of a system allowing more legal immigration.
The group suggested the introduction of universal national service could be a way to start healing the divisions.
“It could require or incentivise one million young people to devote one year of their lives to service by serving in the military, working as a teacher, building up disadvantaged communities, or helping in countless other ways.”
