Shelley Moore Capito is a Republican senator from West Virginia. She was first elected to the Senate in 2014, making history as the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from the state, and she cruised to re-election in 2020 with a 40+-point margin.
Born November 26, 1953, in Glen Dale, West Virginia, Capito is the daughter of former governor Arch A. Moore Jr. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s from the University of Virginia. Before the Senate, she served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2015, branding herself as a center-right, constituent-service workhorse.
In Washington, Capito leans hard on infrastructure, broadband, transportation money, clean water systems, and opioid response funding for West Virginia. GOP leadership often uses her as a negotiator because she sells herself as “I deliver for West Virginia,” not “I light up cable news.” She’s also a reliable defender of fossil fuels as core to the state’s identity and economy.
Moderate Republican
Achievements
- Lead Republican negotiator on infrastructure packages, pitching them as roads, broadband, water systems, and energy jobs for West Virginia.
- Pushed billions in broadband expansion, bridge and highway upgrades, and clean water projects in rural and coalfield counties.
- High-profile advocate on opioid treatment and addiction services, framing it as a public health crisis.
- Consistent champion of coal, natural gas, and heavy industry as the backbone of the state’s economy and identity.
Controversies
- Criticized from the right for cutting bipartisan deals on spending and infrastructure instead of holding a harder line.
- Criticized from the left for protecting fossil fuel interests and resisting aggressive climate targets.
- Fiscal hawks in the GOP accuse her of being too open to large-scale federal “investment packages.”
Recent Elections
U.S. Senate (Re-election)
2020
R +43%
Won a second Senate term in a landslide, emphasizing infrastructure, broadband, energy jobs, and opioid response.
U.S. Senate (First election)
2014
R +27%
First woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia, running on 'deliver, not drama.'
West Virginia has shifted sharply Republican at the federal level, and Capito’s margins reflect that realignment.
Top Donors
| Donor | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Companies | $49,200 | $34,200 | $15,000 |
| Blackstone Group | $46,800 | $46,800 | $0 |
| FirstEnergy Corp | $45,325 | $39,325 | $6,000 |
| GEO Group | $44,500 | $34,500 | $10,000 |
| Senior Star | $41,900 | $41,900 | $0 |
Amounts reflect organization-linked giving across energy, finance, corrections, and infrastructure-aligned interests.