Early Life and Education of Joe Manchin: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Joe Manchin. A timeline of key moments.

Joe Manchin is an American businessman and former politician who served as a U.S. Senator for West Virginia from 2010 to 2025. Initially a Democrat, he later registered as an independent. Prior to his Senate career, Manchin was the 27th Secretary of State of West Virginia (2001-2005) and the 34th Governor of West Virginia (2005-2010). Before entering public service, he co-founded and led Enersystems, a family-owned coal brokerage firm.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

August 24, 1947: Joe Manchin Born

On August 24, 1947, Joseph Anthony Manchin III was born. He later became a businessman, politician, United States Senator for West Virginia, the 27th Secretary of State of West Virginia, and the 34th Governor of West Virginia.

1965: Graduated from Farmington High School

In 1965, Joe Manchin graduated from Farmington High School and entered West Virginia University on a football scholarship.

August 5, 1967: Manchin marries Gayle Heather Conelly

On August 5, 1967, Joe Manchin married Gayle Heather Conelly. Together, they have three children: Heather Manchin Bresch, Joseph IV, and Brooke.

1970: Graduated from West Virginia University

In 1970, Joe Manchin graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in business administration.

2000: Entered Politics and Gave Control of Enersystems to Son

In 2000, Joe Manchin entered politics and gave control of Enersystems' daily operations to his son, Joe Manchin IV.

February 1, 2006: Ordered Stop to Coal Production

On February 1, 2006, Joe Manchin ordered a stop to all coal production in West Virginia pending safety checks after two more miners were killed in separate accidents.

June 28, 2010: Death of Robert Byrd

Robert Byrd died on June 28, 2010, leading to speculation about Joe Manchin's next steps.

2010: Manchin delivers commencement address at Davis & Elkins College

In 2010, Joe Manchin delivered a commencement address at Davis & Elkins College and received an honorary degree from the institution.

2010: Listed AA Properties as Non-Public Asset

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Joe Manchin has listed AA Properties as a non-public asset on his annual financial disclosures.

June 21, 2011: Speech on reducing military presence in Afghanistan

On June 21, 2011, Joe Manchin delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for a "substantial and responsible reduction in the United States' military presence in Afghanistan," stating, "We can no longer afford to rebuild Afghanistan and America. We must choose. And I choose America."

2011: Dividend Income from Enersystems

Between 2011 and 2020, Joe Manchin was paid $5,211,154 in dividend income from Enersystems.

December 2012: Manchin voices displeasure with MTV's Buckwild

In December 2012, Joe Manchin expressed his disapproval of MTV's reality show Buckwild, which was set in Charleston, West Virginia. He requested that the network's president cancel the show, arguing that it presented a negative and unrealistic portrayal of the state.

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2012: Run for Reelection to Full Term

In 2012, Joe Manchin ran for reelection to a full term. He did not endorse President Barack Obama, citing differences in economic and energy policies.

August 2013: Response to Ghouta chemical attack

Following the Ghouta chemical attack in August 2013 during the Syrian Civil War, Joe Manchin stated, "There is no doubt that an attack occurred and there is no doubt it was produced under the Assad regime." He opposed any strikes on the Syrian Government in retaliation and introduced a joint resolution for a long-term strategy on Syria.

January 7, 2014: Remarks on Afghanistan troop levels

On January 7, 2014, Joe Manchin made remarks in a press conference arguing that "all of the money and all of the military might in the world will not change that part of the world." He said that by the end of the year, the American troops in that country should be at Bagram Airfield alone.

September 16, 2014: Opposition to arming Syrian opposition fighters

On September 16, 2014, Joe Manchin announced that he would vote against a possible Senate resolution to arm Syrian opposition fighters, stating, "At the end of the day, most of the arms that we give to people are used against us. Most of the people we train turn against us."

2014: Relationship with Obama

In a 2014 New York Times interview, Joe Manchin said his relationship with Obama was "fairly nonexistent."

June 30, 2015: John Manchin II withdraws lawsuit against Joe and Roch Manchin

On June 30, 2015, John Manchin II withdrew a lawsuit that he had filed against Joe Manchin and his other brother, Roch Manchin. The lawsuit concerned a $1.7 million loan related to the family-owned carpet business.

2016: Bernie Sanders's 2016 Presidential Campaign

In 2018, Paula Jean Swearengin challenged Manchin in the primary, supported by former members of Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign.

April 2017: Letter to Trump on Chinese steel

In April 2017, Joe Manchin was one of eight Democratic senators to sign a letter to President Trump noting that government-subsidized Chinese steel had been placed into the American market in recent years below cost and had hurt the domestic steel industry and the iron ore industry. The letter called on Trump to raise the steel issue with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.

April 2017: Statement on North Korea

In April 2017, following a North Korea senior official declaring that the U.S. had created "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any minute," Joe Manchin stated that North Korea had "to understand that we will retaliate" and that he did not believe the U.S. would not respond if North Korea continued to play "their games."

June 2017: Co-sponsorship of Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In June 2017, Joe Manchin co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.270), which made it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.

June 2017: Vote against resolution disapproving arms sales to Saudi Arabia

In June 2017, Joe Manchin was one of five Democrats who, by voting against a Senate resolution disapproving of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, ensured its failure. Potential primary opponent Paula Jean Swearengin charged that because of Manchin's vote, weapons sold to the Saudis "could possibly end up in the hands of terrorists."

July 2017: Urging Trump to block sale of Chicago Stock Exchange

In July 2017, Joe Manchin urged Trump to block the sale of the Chicago Stock Exchange to Chinese investors, arguing that China's "rejection of fundamental free-market norms and property rights of private citizens makes me strongly doubt whether an Exchange operating under the direct control of a Chinese entity can be trusted to 'self-regulate' now and in the future."

November 2017: Co-sponsorship of bill to broaden foreign investment prevention

In November 2017, Joe Manchin was one of nine senators to co-sponsor a bill that would broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by increasing the strength of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The CFIUS scope would be expanded to allow it to review and possibly decline smaller investments.

November 2017: Reaction to China Energy Investment in West Virginia

In November 2017, after the West Virginia Commerce Department announced an agreement with China Energy to invest $83.7 billion in shale gas development and chemical manufacturing projects in West Virginia, Joe Manchin expressed enthusiasm, stating he was satisfied that China Energy recognized West Virginians as the hardest-working people in the world.

2017: Support for Shayrat missile strike

In 2017, Joe Manchin supported the Shayrat missile strike launched by order of President Trump in response to a chemical weapons attack allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian Government, stating that "yesterday's strike was important to send a message to the Syrian regime and their Russian enablers that these horrific actions will not be tolerated."

March 2018: Blaming China for Trump's Tariffs

In March 2018, Joe Manchin blamed China for Trump's imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, noting that the U.S. was the largest importer of steel while 50% of steel was produced in China, and that he believed that prices would increase as a result of the tariffs.

May 2018: Accusation against Kim Jong-un

In May 2018, Joe Manchin accused Kim Jong-un of accelerating "the nuclear threat" of North Korea in a manner that would enable him to receive concessions and that Kim Jong-un was "in a serious, serious problem with his country and the people in his country" without China.

November 2018: Renewed calls for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

Following the deaths of three American soldiers in Afghanistan in November 2018, Joe Manchin renewed his calls for the withdraw of American troops from the country, saying that both presidents Obama and Trump had expressed support for taking troops out of the country but had not done so.

January 2019: Support for bills to end government shutdown

In January 2019, Joe Manchin supported both Republican and Democratic bills to end a government shutdown. He was the only Democrat to break from his party and vote in favor of the Republican proposal.

February 2019: Drafting of Middle East policy bill

In February 2019, Joe Manchin and Republican Marco Rubio drafted a Middle East policy bill with provisions that rebuked President Trump over withdrawals of troops from Syria and Afghanistan and a measure authorizing state and municipal governments to punish companies after they oppose Israel via boycott, divestment or sanctions.

August 1, 2019: Opposition to bipartisan budget deal

On August 1, 2019, Joe Manchin joined Tom Carper and Republicans Mitt Romney and Rick Scott in issuing a statement asserting that "as former Governors, we were responsible for setting a budget each year that was fiscally responsible to fund our priorities. That's why today, we, as U.S. Senators, cannot bring ourselves to vote for this budget deal that does not put our country on a fiscally sustainable path."

2020: Financial Disclosure of Enersystems Holdings

In a financial disclosure from 2020, Joe Manchin reported that his non-public shares of Enersystems were worth between $1 million and $5 million. Also in 2020, he received over $500,000 in dividends.

2021: Support for Inflation Reduction Act Revealed

In December 2024, Joe Manchin revealed that he supported the Inflation Reduction Act only after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, due to the 2021-2023 global energy crisis.

January 2023: Voting Record with Biden's Position

As of January 2023, data journalism site FiveThirtyEight reported that Joe Manchin has voted with Joe Biden's position 87.9% of the time.

June 2023: Refusal to Rule Out Presidential Run

In June 2023, Joe Manchin refused to rule out running for president as a third-party candidate instead of seeking reelection in 2024.

2023: Support for Inflation Reduction Act Revealed

In December 2024, Joe Manchin revealed that he supported the Inflation Reduction Act only after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, due to the 2021-2023 global energy crisis.

May 31, 2024: Announcement to Leave Democratic Party

On May 31, 2024, Joe Manchin announced that he would leave the Democratic Party and file as an independent. He remained a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, while accusing both parties of partisan extremism.

December 2024: Support for Inflation Reduction Act Revealed

In December 2024, Joe Manchin revealed that he supported the Inflation Reduction Act only after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, due to the 2021-2023 global energy crisis.

2024: Manchin criticizes Democratic Party positions after Kamala Harris loses election

After Kamala Harris' loss in the 2024 United States presidential election to Donald Trump, Joe Manchin criticized many of the Democratic Party's positions and said its brand was "toxic." Manchin stated that he would remain an independent and had no plans to run for political office in the future.

2024: Left the Democratic Party

In 2024, Joe Manchin left the Democratic Party to become an independent.

2024: Registered as Independent

In 2024, Joe Manchin registered as an independent, ending his affiliation with the Democratic Party. He was West Virginia's only congressional Democrat until this point.

2024: No Reelection

Joe Manchin has said he will not run for reelection in 2024, indicating he may create a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together. Senators urged Manchin not to run for president in 2024.