CHARLESTON — Longtime Democrat Senator Joe Manchin is urging West Virginia Republicans to reopen their primary elections, arguing that closed primaries exclude a growing share of the state’s voters and limit competition.
In a statement released as Republican leaders consider whether to keep the party’s primary closed, Manchin said the decision would “shut out thousands of West Virginia voters” who are not registered Republicans. Manchin, who re-registered as an independent to join the No Labels Project after decades as a Democrat, said closed primaries benefit political parties rather than voters.
“I’d like to remind my Republican friends and leaders in West Virginia that will be deciding this weekend whether or not they keep the Republican primary closed: this is a move that would shut out thousands of West Virginia voters. Closed primaries serve parties, not people,” Manchin said. “If we want better candidates that produce better outcomes, we need competition, not control. Voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around.”
Manchin emphasized the growing number of voters who are unaffiliated with either major party, noting that independents now make up the largest voting bloc nationally and a significant and expanding share of the electorate in West Virginia. Excluding those voters from primary elections, he said, is both unfair and politically shortsighted.
“I’m an independent, and independents are now the largest voting bloc in America and a very large and growing voting bloc in West Virginia. Shutting the door on that many voters isn’t just unfair – it’s politically short-sighted.”
“If you care about good and fair representation in West Virginia, now is the time to be heard,” Manchin said, calling on voters to contact Republican elected officials. “Reach out to your elected Republican representatives and tell them to please keep our primaries open.”
The comments drew a sharp response from Del. Chris Anders, a Republican from Berkeley County, who criticized Manchin’s involvement and framed the issue as party interference.
“When Democrats like Joe Manchin team up with squish Republicans like Capito to try to force open GOP primaries, it tells you everything you need to know — they can’t win honestly, so they’re trying to steal our primary election,” Anders told Mountaineer Journal. “West Virginia has had enough of their type.”
Last week, a resolution failed in committee to reopen the Republican Primaries, but is expected to be reintroduced on the floor.
Republican leaders are expected to decide this weekend whether the party’s primaries will remain closed to voters who are not registered Republicans. The meeting with take place Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., located in The Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Charleston.
