CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin endorsed the mayor of Wheeling on Monday in the Democratic primary race for his seat representing deep-red West Virginia, where Manchin is the only Democrat holding statewide office.
In a video released by Democrat Glenn Elliott's campaign, Manchin described Elliott as a man with the “determination, the vigor and vitality" to do the work required in the U.S. Senate. He praised Elliott's record of creating jobs, lowering the crime rate and revitalizing the downtown of the city of around 26,000 on the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
“Glenn will always fight for West Virginia, and will put our country and our state before the bickering and pettiness of the partisan politics of Washington, D.C.," Manchin said.
Manchin, 76, announced late last year he would not run for reelection in 2024, saying the growing animosity between political parties in Congress is dividing the country and exacerbating its challenges.
His decision to step down hampered Democratic hopes of holding on to the coal country seat and marks the end of an era for West Virginia, which voted reliably blue for decades before flipping red and becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s most loyal states.
Elliott, a lawyer who launched his bid for the open seat in January and has served as Wheeling mayor since 2016, said he knows it will be an uphill climb for the Senate seat Manchin has occupied since 2010. To win the Democratic nomination May 14, he must edge out opponents Marine Corps veteran Zach Shrewsbury and ex-coal executive Don Blankenship.
The Democratic nominee would then face either Republican Gov. Jim Justice or U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney in the general election.
Elliott, who served as a legislative assistant to the late U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, said he's a Democrat because of an intrinsic identification with “the underdog,” and a belief that unions built the American middle class and separated the U.S. economy from other nations in the mid-20th century.
But Elliott said he, like Manchin, is not afraid to speak out against proposals from his party he doesn't think are best for West Virginia.
Elliott said he supports much of what U.S. President Joe Biden has done during his administration, especially the passage of economic development spending packages like the bipartisan infrastructure bill. That legislation gave Wheeling $33 million to revamp its downtown streetscape.
Elliott said Trump’s success speaks to how frustrated West Virginians are that, “they don’t feel like Washington is listening to them — and they’re not entirely wrong.”
“This part of the country is called flyover country for a reason — people often disregard us," Elliott said. "And I think a lot of West Virginians feel like they’ve been talked down to, ignored.”
An earlier version this report had an incorrect year for when Manchin was first elected to the Senate seat.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott speaks during the 10th Annual Wheeling Police Department Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony at Wheeling Heritage Port in Wheeling, W.Va., on May 18, 2023. Outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin endorsed the on Monday, April, 22, 2024, in the Democratic primary race for his seat representing deep-red West Virginia, where Manchin is currently the only Democrat holding statewide office. (Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he doesn't see it as a significant issue. Most American troops left that base in the nation's capital, Niamey, a U.S. official said.
The arrival of Russian trainers in the West African country about three weeks ago came in the wake of Niger’s decision to order out all U.S. troops. The order dealt a blow to U.S. military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.
The Pentagon has said the U.S. troops will depart but has not provided a timeline.
When Russian troops arrived last month, it was unclear where they were staying. The Niamey base, Austin said late Thursday, is located at the capital city's Diori Hamani International Airport, and “the Russians are in a separate compound and don’t have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment.”
He said the U.S. will continue to watch the situation but he doesn't see it as a significant force protection issue.
A U.S. official said the Russian forces are on the other side of the Niamey facility, known as Airbase 101, and that other international forces — such as the Germans and Italians — also reside. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. It's unclear how many U.S. troops remain at the Niamey base.
The Russian presence on the base comes as tensions remain high between Washington and Moscow over the ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine's military.
About 1,000 U.S. troops are still in Niger, but the bulk of them moved to what's called Airbase 201 near Agadez, some 920 kilometers (550 miles) away from the capital, not long after mutinous soldiers ousted the country’s democratically elected president last July.
A few months later, the ruling junta asked French forces to leave and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.
In October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup, which triggered U.S. laws restricting the military support and aid that it can provide to Niger. Since then, diplomatic efforts to restore ties with Niger have been unsuccessful.
Until recently, Washington considered Niger a key partner and ally in a region swept by coups in recent years, investing millions of dollars in the Agadez base, which has been critical to U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Sahel. The U.S. also has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger’s military since it began operations there in 2013.
The Pentagon also has said the U.S. will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in neighboring Chad for now. Chad is also considering whether to continue its security agreement with the U.S.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters that the departure from Chad "is a temporary step as part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s May 6th presidential election.”
FILE - Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather for a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 3, 2023. Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in Niamey, the nation's capital, a U.S. official said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
