Capito, Shelley Moore, 1953-
Variant namesBiographical notes:
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito (born November 26, 1953) is an American politician serving as the junior United States Senator for West Virginia since 2015. A Republican, she is the daughter of three-term West Virginia governor Arch Alfred Moore Jr. Capito was the U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 2001 until her 2014 election to the Senate, the first statewide win by a Republican since the 1980s. She is the dean of West Virginia's congressional delegation, serving since 2001.
Born in Glen Dale, West Virginia and raised in Charleston, Capito was educated at the Holton-Arms School, a private college-preparatory school in Bethesda, Maryland; Duke University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in zoology; and the University of Virginia Curry School of Education, where she earned her master's degree. At the start of her career, Capito was a career counselor at West Virginia State University and director of the educational information center for the West Virginia Board of Regents.
Capito was elected to Kanawha County's seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1996, and served two terms, from 1996 to 2000. When U.S. Representative Bob Wise ran for governor in 2000, Capito ran as a Republican for the open seat in West Virginia's 2nd district. She defeated the Democratic nominee, lawyer Jim Humphreys, by two percentage points. She was the first Republican to represent West Virginia in Congress since 1983, as well as the first woman elected to Congress from West Virginia who was not the widow of a member of Congress. She was easily re-elected six times. On November 26, 2012, Capito announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2014, intending to challenge Democratic incumbent Jay Rockefeller, who subsequently announced his retirement. Despite initial protests from Tea Party groups and anti-establishment conservatives that her House voting record was "too liberal", Capito won 87% of the Republican primary vote, and defeated Democratic Secretary of State Natalie Tennant in the general election, 62% to 34%. Capito easily defeated Paula Jean Swearingen by over 40 points in her 2020 re-election bid.
Capito was the only Republican in West Virginia's congressional delegation until 2011, and the first Republican woman elected to Congress from West Virginia. She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia and the first Republican to win a full term in the Senate from West Virginia since 1942.
Links to collections
Comparison
This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.
- Added or updated
- Deleted or outdated
Information
Subjects:
Occupations:
- Counselors
- Educators
- Representatives, U.S. Congress
- Senators, U.S. Congress
- State Representative
Places:
- WV, US
- WV, US
- Durham, NC, US
- Bethesda, MD, US
- Charlottesville, VA, US
