Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (pictured) took himself out of the running. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Manchin rules out Trump energy secretary appointment

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Friday ruled himself out as the next energy secretary, quashing speculation President Donald Trump might nominate him to run the Energy Department and have the governor of West Virginia, a newly minted Republican, appoint a Republican senator.

The plan, floated last week in a Bloomberg News report, could have given the GOP one more vote for its stalled bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.


But Manchin took himself out of the running at a town hall in West Virginia, according to spokesman Jonathan Kott.

The current energy secretary, Rick Perry, is considered a contender to succeed White House chief of staff John Kelly as head of the Department of Homeland Security.