Everytown Statement on Senator Manchin’s Decision Not to Run For Reelection in 2024

WASHINGTON — Today, following Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement that he would not seek reelection next year, Everytown for Gun Safety released the following statements:

“In the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook School, Senator Joe Manchin had the courage to reach across the aisle and champion a legislative response — and he’s been a guiding light on this issue ever since,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We are grateful for his leadership in the fight for common-sense solutions to gun violence and we wish him the very best moving forward.”

“Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Joe Manchin has demonstrated a strong understanding that gun safety laws save lives,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “We are grateful for his contributions to our movement, and will work to elect other leaders at the federal level who share Senator Manchin’s commitment to gun violence prevention legislation.”

Senator Joe Manchin led the fight for background checks after the Sandy Hook School mass shooting in 2012, joining Republican Senator Pat Toomey in authoring and championing what became known as Manchin-Toomey. In 2022, following the Uvalde shooting, Senator Manchin was a strong supporter of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a historic gun safety, mental health, and school safety bill.