**Democrat David Axelrod predicts Republican Senate gain with Sen. Joe Manchin’s troubling future**
David Axelrod, a prominent Democratic political consultant, has predicted that the Republicans are set to gain at least one U.S. Senate seat presently held by a Democrat next November. This statement comes as he describes Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) political career as a “dead man walking.”
The prediction that the Republican party will grasp a currently democrat-led Senate seat is mainly due to the claims around Sen. Joe Manchin’s political future. Axelrod spoke out on CNN, explaining that the current political environment in West Virginia plays a crucial role in Manchin’s future and the race for the 2024 Senate seat. The overwhelming margin through which President Donald Trump won the Mountain State in 2020 is one of the factors that Axelrod believes will negatively impact Manchin’s chances of winning in that state.
It is important to note that Manchin’s name has often been mentioned in conversations around potential third-party candidates in the presidential race. In fact, a report by the New York Times last month suggested that a bipartisan group, namely No Labels, is strategizing on fielding a “unity ticket” for the forthcoming 2024 presidential election. According to the report, Manchin is the top candidate to lead the ticket.
Adding to Axelrod’s concerns is a recent poll showing that Manchin is lagging more than 20 points behind Gov. Jim Justice (R) in a speculative Senate matchup for the 2024 election. These bleak re-election hopes for Manchin are further undermined as Justice, with his popularity soaring, stands a high chance of claiming the Republican primary.
Axelrod clarified that his remarks were not intended to offend Sen.
