Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.V., announced Sunday he plans to stay in the Senate rather than run for Governor of West Virginia next year.
In a statement, Manchin said he has seen signs of progress toward a greater sense of bipartisanship and an end to the gridlock in Congress.
"It is because of that optimism that I have decided to continue serving the people of West Virginia in the United States Senate," Manchin said.
He added, "My main purpose in the Senate, has, and always will be, to represent the great people of West Virginia to the best of my ability, and I have always said that when my country succeeds, my state succeeds."
Manchin said he believes he can have the greatest impact on West Virginia and America by staying in Washington even as he described his service as governor as his life's most fulfilling work.
After serving six years as governor, Manchin was elected to the Senate seat held by the late Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., in a special election in 2010. He later won election to a full term in the Senate in 2012.
Manchin recently fueled speculation that he would attempt a return to the governor's mansion when he commissioned a private poll showing him with a big lead in a potential race.
The West Virginia Senator's decision to stay in Washington provides a boost to Democrats' hopes to retake control of the Senate in 2016.
In an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation," Manchin also indicated that he plans to run for another term in the Senate in 2018.
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