Primary elections

Capito Wins Republican Primary in West Virginia

The two-term senator has championed rural broadband access.

Lincoln Patience

May 13, 2026 — 1 min read

Photo of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R.-W.Va., speaking in June 2023 next to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP).

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2026 — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., won the Republican primary in her state on May 12, defeating five challengers and gaining 66.5 percent of the vote.

Capito chairs the Republican Policy Commission and co-chairs the Senate Broadband Caucus, and is a long-time advocate for greater broadband access in rural America. Her USF reform proposal was signed into law on May 11 by President Donald Trump.

Capito was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. She previously served in the House of Representatives for seven terms, starting in 2001.

Capito was faced in the primary by Alexander Gaaserud, Bryan McKinney, Janet McNulty, David Purkey, and state senator Tom Willis.

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Primary elections Shelley Moore Capito Senate Broadband Caucus Republican Policy Commission West Virginia Donald Trump

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