Shelley Moore Capito beat Democrat Rachel Fetty Anderson to win a third term in the U.S. Senate, keeping West Virginia’s seat in Republican hands.
Shelley Moore Capito has represented West Virginia in the Senate since 2015. She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from the state, and she comes from a well-known political family — her father, Arch Moore Jr., served three terms as governor.
Before the Senate, Capito spent 14 years in the U.S. House, from 2001 to 2015, and served in the West Virginia House of Delegates before that. Earlier in her career she worked as a college counselor, after earning degrees from Duke University and the University of Virginia.
On Tuesday, she defeated Rachel Fetty Anderson, a Democrat and former Morgantown city council member, with about 58 percent of the vote. The race was not close, and West Virginia remains one of the most Republican states in the country.
Her win matters because Capito is part of the Senate Republican leadership. She chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, which handles roads, bridges and energy issues that hit home in West Virginia. Watch how she uses that post — and her seniority — in a Senate that will now be run by Democrats.
Fast facts
- Age: 72
- Party: Republican
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: West Virginia
- Previous job: U.S. Representative from West Virginia (2001–2015)
- Called by AP: Nov. 3, 2026 (verified in the desk’s record at the 9:00 p.m. ET check)
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
