Democratic senator Joe Manchin, who last week announced he will retire from the US Senate at the end of next year, added to his party's woes on Wednesday when he said he "absolutely" would consider running for US president in 2024.
In an interview with NBC News, Mr Manchin said: "Every American should consider it if they're in a position to help save the country."
The West Virginia senator, one of the most conservative Democrats in the 100-member Senate, has had close ties with the "No Labels" group that is flirting with putting up a third-party presidential candidate. Last summer, Mr Manchin participated in a No Labels event in New Hampshire on the topic.
Democrats fear that a Manchin presidential run could draw votes away from president Joe Biden and hand former president Donald Trump a victory if he is the Republican nominee for the third presidential election in a row.
The Democratic Party already was lamenting Mr Manchin's refusal to seek another Senate term in 2024, likely handing the seat - and the party's narrow majority - to Republicans given his home state's conservative shift in recent years.
Mr Manchin told NBC that before deciding whether to mount a run for president he would have to gauge whether there is enough voter support for him.
No Labels has insisted it will only get into the race if its yet-to-be-named candidate has a good chance of winning. Mr Manchin could also run as an independent, but would have to work fast to get on all 50 state ballots.
