Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) had already said he would not be running for office in November despite switching to an independent, but his scheduled appearance at a fundraiser almost certainly slams the door on any chances of a gubernatorial run.

Manchin has already endorsed Democratic West Virginia gubernatorial nominee Steve Williams and is set to appear at a fundraiser supporting him, according to Ogden Newspapers reporter Steven Allen Adams.

The West Virginia senator’s appearance at the fundraiser, with him being billed at the top of the flyer, further shuts down any remaining rumors that he may mount a last-minute bid back to the governor’s mansion. Manchin served as the governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010, when he was elected to the Senate.

Manchin changed his voter registration to independent after being registered with the Democratic Party for his entire elected career, fueling some speculation that he could jump into the governor’s race as an independent.

“Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority,” Manchin said in a statement after changing his party affiliation last month.

Manchin’s change in party registration came a day before the deadline to run for governor as an independent candidate in West Virginia, but he denied he would run and affirmed his support for Williams. He did leave open the door to running in the future — but ruled out a run in November.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“You never close any doors. I understand that too,” the West Virginia senator said. “I’ve been around for a long time, and you never say never because you never know, especially in the toxic political world that we live in.”

Manchin had been floated as a possible third-party presidential candidate, with high dissatisfaction among voters with the two major party candidates, but he confirmed he would not be running for the White House earlier this year.