Shelley Moore Capito wins West Virginia GOP Senate primary with Trump’s endorsement backing her bid
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Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is a big step closer to re-election, thanks in part to support from President Donald Trump.
Capito easily defeated five Republican challengers in Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary in West Virginia, the Associated Press reports, to secure her party’s nomination in the solidly red Mountain State.
The two-term lawmaker who served a decade and a half in the House before first winning election to the Senate in 2014 and making history as the state’s first female senator hails from a political family. Her late father was Arch Moore Jr., a former three-term governor and six-term congressman.
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Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is running this year for a third six-year term in the U.S. Senate (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)
Among those trying to defeat her in Tuesday’s primary was state Sen. Tom Willis, who argued that it was “time for a change” and took aim at “career politicians.”
But Capito, as she ran for re-nomination, spotlighted her support from Trump.
“I’m honored to have President Trump’s complete and total endorsement as we fight to protect West Virginia jobs, make life more affordable, secure our border, and defend our shared values in the Mountain State,” she wrote last month.
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And on Tuesday, she took to X to highlight, “Proud to lead President Trump’s ticket in West Virginia today.”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Capito, touted on X after her primary victory that the senator “is ready to keep fighting alongside President Trump to put West Virginia FIRST!”
And Trump took to social media to highlight Capito’s victory and his endorsement of the senator.
Capito, in a statement after her victory, said: “West Virginia Republicans sent a clear message that we are ready to continue delivering wins with America First policies through my strong leadership in the U.S. Senate.”
West Virginia, once a state where Democrats dominated, is nowadays dark red. Trump carried the state by over 40 points in his 2024 White House victory.
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The West Virginia State Capitol building stands beside the Kanawha River in Charleston, W.Va. (Joseph Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group)
Capito will now be considered the overwhelming favorite in the November midterm elections, as top nonpartisan political handicappers rate the race as solidly Republican.
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The GOP currently controls the Senate with a 53-47 majority.
Five Democrats were seeking their party’s Senate nomination.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”
