Joe Manchin to stay in Senate, will not run for West Virginia governor

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Sen. Manchin on new gun control legislation: We've got to start with common sense

West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin says lawmakers should start by improving background checks.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., announced Tuesday that he will stay in the Senate, opting not to challenge Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

Manchin was recently re-elected to another six-year term in the Senate. He previously served as governor from 2005 to 2010.

SEN. MANCHIN ON NEW GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION: WE’VE GOT TO START WITH COMMON SENSE

“I have always said that ‘public service is not self-service.’ So, when considering whether to run for Governor, I couldn’t focus just on which job I enjoyed the most, but on where I could be the most effective for the Mountain State,” Manchin said in a statement, ending speculation about his future political plans.

“Ultimately, I believe my role as U.S. Senator allows me to position our state for success for the rest of this century.”

Justice, who first ran as a Democrat and was endorsed by Manchin, is already facing multiple primary challengers amid criticism for not spending enough time in the state’s capital and for allegedly being a “part-time” governor.

Manchin has called out Justice for this in the past, saying Justice “just won’t work.” His statement Tuesday may have included a subtle critique as well.

“Those who know me know how much I loved being the Governor of West Virginia. I worked the daylights out of that job. I couldn’t wait to wake up in the Governor’s Mansion in the morning, and I didn’t want to go to bed at night, because there was always more that I could do for our state. And that is what it takes to be an effective Governor: relentless effort,” he said.

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A recent poll has Justice leading his primary opponents, former Commerce Department Secretary Woody Thrasher and former Berkeley County delegate Mike Folk. That same poll, however, indicated that if Manchin ran, 49 percent would choose him, compared with 39 percent for Justice and 12 percent undecided.

Fox News' Mike Emanuel, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.