Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is launching the Independent Leadership Council, a new effort to elect independent candidates to Congress that will focus first on competitive seats this election cycle. “We’re trying to build a true independent network,” Manchin told Semafor. “Not a third party, but a movement of people that will bring our country and the people who are participating in politics today more towards the center.” Manchin, elected as a Democrat, left the party before retiring in 2024. Most of the chosen candidates will meet with donors and strategists in West Virginia this weekend.