Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife in ‘stable condition’ after car crash in Alabama
Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife Gayle is recovering in an Alabama hospital after a car accident on Monday, the West Virginia Democrat’s office revealed Tuesday.
“My wife Gayle and her colleague Guy Land were involved in a car accident on the way from the airport to the hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, for an Appalachian Regional Commission event that was planned for today,” Manchin, 76, said in a statement.
Gayle Manchin and Land were admitted to the
University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, and are receiving “excellent care,” according to the senator.
“She remains in stable condition but will stay there for a couple of days for precautionary measures,” Joe Manchin went on. “We want to thank the first responders who answered the call and were on-site to provide assistance and support.”
Gayle Manchin, 76, co-chairs the Appalachian Regional Commission — a federal-state initiative meant to boost the economy of 13 states in the Appalachian Region. She was nominated for the post by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2021.
She and Land, ARC’s congressional liaison, were driving from the airport to a nearby hotel when another vehicle struck theirs, the organization said in a statement.Manchin’s colleague, Sen.
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), wished Gayle Manchin and Land well after Joe Manchin’s announcement.
“Charlie and I are thinking about our friends Gayle Manchin and Guy Land as they recover from a car accident,” Capito posted on X. “We hope for a speedy recovery and are thankful for the quick action of first responders,”Manchin announced last year that he would not vie for a fourth Senate term in office at the prospect of a tough battle against GOP West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.
During the first two years of the Biden administration, Manchin emerged as a key vote in the 50-50 Senate, repeatedly torpedoing big-ticket progressive agenda items.
In the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats picked up a Senate seat and Republicans took over the House of Representatives, reducing the West Virginian’s importance.
Although he’s ruled out a Senate run in 2024, Manchin has repeatedly toyed with an independent presidential bid.
“Well, I’m not gonna be a spoiler. If there’s a pathway forward, I’ve always been involved and competitive,” he told “Fox & Friends” earlier this month. “If I’m gonna get involved, I would definitely want to win, and I’m gonna fight to win.”