West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he has formally switched his party affiliation from Democrat to independent, citing his growing frustration with extremism in both mainstream political parties.

“Our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Mr. Manchin said in a statement. “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.”

The move does not matter too much with Mr. Manchin set to retire from the Senate when his term ends after this year and his passing on other political opportunities, like running for president or governor.

Mr. Manchin had recently received some pressure to run for governor, but on Wednesday he told The Herald-Dispatch, a West Virginia publication, that he would not enter the race and would be backing Steve Williams as the Democratic nominee.

Switching his party affiliation will also make little difference in how he finishes out his term. Mr. Manchin will continue to caucus with Senate Democrats, his office confirmed. That means he can continue to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and serve on the expansive Democratic leadership team as the vice chair of the Policy and Communications Committee. 

“Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be,” Mr. Manchin said. “I have never seen America through a partisan lens.”

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.