First elected in a special election in November 2010 to fill the seat of Senator Robert Byrd, Senator Joe Manchin was elected to his first full term in the Senate with 60% of the vote in November 2012.
Senator Manchin, often identified as the Senate's most conservative member of his party, reached across the aisle to help bi-partisan Dodd-Frank regulatory relief become a reality in the Senate.
His vote for S.2155, "The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act" was critical, yet in 2018 he faces a tough race. Prominent members of his opposing party are vying to run against him, including the current Attorney General for West Virginia, the state's Third District Congressman, and notorious former Massey Energy CEO, Don Blankenship.
"Senator Manchin's balanced, common sense approach to regulation in Congress is critical to the banking industry," said West Virginia Bankers Association President and CEO Sally Cline.
"Thanks to his deep understanding of the important role the banking industry plays in improving the quality of life for his constituents throughout our state, Senator Manchin recognizes the detrimental effects of poorly tailored and overly broad regulations on economic growth," she said. "His willingness to put principles before politics and sponsor meaningful regulatory reform in the Senate is a hallmark of his service; and West Virginia's bankers are thankful for his leadership."