Shelley Moore Capito | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Senator fromWest Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office January 3, 2015 Serving with Jim Justice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jay Rockefeller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWest Virginia's2nd district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Bob Wise | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alex Mooney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theWest Virginia House of Delegates from the 30th district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office December 1, 1996 – December 1, 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Multi-member district | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Shelley Wellons Moore (1953-11-26)November 26, 1953 (age 71) Glen Dale, West Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Republican | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, includingMoore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Arch Moore (father) Shelley Moore (mother) Riley Moore (nephew) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Duke University (BA) University of Virginia (MEd) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Website | Senate website Campaign website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Capito supporting theElectoral Count Reform Act. Recorded September 27, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito (/ˈkæpɪtoʊ/KAP-ih-toh; born November 26, 1953) is an American politician and retired educator serving as theseniorUnited States senator fromWest Virginia. A member of theRepublican Party, Capito served from 2001 to 2015 as theU.S. representative fromWest Virginia's 2nd congressional district. She is the daughter of three-term West Virginia governor and six-term U.S. representativeArch Alfred Moore Jr.
Capito was first elected to the Senate in2014, becoming the firstwoman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia and the first West Virginia Republican to win a full term in the Senate since1942. She was reelected in2020.
Capito has chaired the Environment and Public Works Committee since 2025, and is the dean ofWest Virginia's congressional delegation.
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito was born inGlen Dale, West Virginia, on November 26, 1953. She is the daughter ofShelley (née Riley) andArch Alfred Moore Jr.,[1] who served three terms as the state'sgovernor. A resident of Charleston, Capito was educated at theHolton-Arms School, a private college-preparatory school inBethesda, Maryland;[2]Duke University, where she earned her bachelor's degree inzoology; and theUniversity of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, where she earned her master's degree.[3] She is a member ofKappa Kappa Gamma sorority[4] and represented West Virginia as the 1972Cherry Blossom Princess.[5]
After earning her master's degree, Capito was a career counselor atWest Virginia State University and director of the educational information center for the West Virginia Board of Regents.[6]
Capito was elected to Kanawha County's seat in thestate House of Delegates in 1996, and served two terms, from 1996 to 2000.[7]
WhenDemocratic U.S. RepresentativeBob Wise ran for governor in 2000, Capito ran as a Republican for the open seat in West Virginia's 2nd district.[7][8] She defeated the Democratic nominee, lawyer Jim Humphreys, by two percentage points in anupset.[9] She was the first Republican to represent West Virginia in Congress since 1983,[10] as well as the first woman elected to Congress from West Virginia who was not the widow of a member of Congress.[11]
Capito was reelected, defeating Humphreys again, 60%–40%.[12]
Capito was reelected to a third term, defeating former newscasterErik Wells 57%–41%.[13]
Capito was mentioned as a possible challenger toSenatorRobert Byrd in2006, but opted to run for reelection to the House.[14] She was reelected to a fourth term, defeating West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection SecretaryMike Callaghan, 57%–43%.[15]
Capito was reelected to a fifth term, defeatingAnne Barth, a former aide to Byrd, 57%–43%.[16]
Capito was mentioned as a possible challenger toJoe Manchin for the vacatedUnited States Senate seat of the late Robert Byrd.[17] She decided against a Senate bid, and was reelected to a sixth term, defeating Virginia Lynch Graf,[18] 68%–30%.[19]
After redistricting, Capito was challenged in the Republican primary.[20] She defeated DelegateJonathan Miller and Michael Davis.[21] She was reelected to a seventh term, defeating former gubernatorial aide Howard Swint, 70%–30%.[20]
Capito is a former chair of theCongressional Caucus for Women's Issues[22] and a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus,Rare Disease Caucus,[23] andAfterschool Caucuses.[24][better source needed] After theUpper Big Branch Mine Disaster, Capito founded the Congressional Coal Caucus.[25][26]
Capito served on theHousePage Board during theMark Foley congressional page incident, in which Foley, a Republican representative from Florida, sent sexually explicit messages to teenage boys who had previously served as congressional pages. According to Capito, she wasn't aware of Foley's conduct until informed by the press.[27][28]
On November 26, 2012, Capito announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2014, intending to challenge Democratic incumbentJay Rockefeller,[29] who subsequently announced his retirement.[30] Despite initial protests fromTea Party groups and anti-establishment conservatives that her House voting record was "too liberal",[31] Capito won 87% of the Republican primary vote,[32] and defeated Democratic Secretary of StateNatalie Tennant in the general election, 62% to 34%.[33]
In her 2020 reelection campaign, Capito easily defeated Republican primary challengers Allen Whitt and Larry Butcher, before facing Democratic nomineePaula Jean Swearengin in the general election.[34] Swearengin, a progressive activist whose2018 U.S. Senate campaign was featured in theNetflix documentaryKnock Down the House, defeated state senatorRichard Ojeda and formerSouth Charleston mayor Richie Robb in the Democratic primary race.[35]
In the November general election, Capito defeated Swearengin with over 70% of the vote.[36]
On January 5, 2016,Mitch McConnell appointed Capito as counsel to the majority leader, along withRob Portman andDeb Fischer.[37][38]
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Capito has voted with her party 96% of the time.[42] She is considered relatively moderate and has crossed the aisle on some votes.[43][44] In 2017,The New York Times andThe Washington Post reported that Capito was one of the three most moderate Republican senators according to a study byDW-NOMINATE.[45][46][47] In 2023,The Lugar Center andMcCourt School of Public Policy ranked Capito in the top fifth among senators for bipartisanship.[48] According toFiveThirtyEight, as of January 2023, Capito had voted with President Biden's position about 56% of the time.[49]
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In 2016, Capito raised concerns about Trump's tone and rhetoric during his presidential campaign.[50] After theAccess Hollywood tape emerged, Capito said he should "reexamine his candidacy".[51] But she later said she supported Trump for president.[52] In 2020, Capito said she would be "impartial" and "fair" to both sides during Trump's Senate trial after hissecond impeachment,[53] and voted to acquit him. According toFiveThirtyEight, she had voted with the Trump administration's position 94.9% of the time.[54]
As of November 19, 2020, Capito had not publicly acknowledged thatJoe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, though it had been called by all major media and analysts.[55] By November 23, she issued a statement recognizing that Biden would be the next president.[56][57] By December 5, she was among only 27 congressional Republicans to acknowledge Biden as the winner of the election.[58][59] Trump subsequently attacked them, calling themRINOs.[60][61]
On May 28, 2021, Capito voted against creating theJanuary 6 commission.[62] Asked about Trump's future role in the Republican Party, she said she partially blamed him for the "insurrection" and did not think he would be the Republican nominee for president in 2024.[63] Capito eventually endorsed Trump in the 2024 election.[64][65]
Capito is a sponsor of the Gender Advancement in Pay (GAP) Act, saying "it should be common sense that women and men getequal pay for equal work" and expressing concern aboutsex discrimination against women in the workplace.[66] She is a sponsor of the Rural Access to Hospice Act to improve the quality, access, and retention ofhospice facilities inrural parts of the nation.[67] She opposes theFreedom to Vote Act which, among other reforms, would establish Election Day as a public holiday and "ensure states have early voting for federal elections, overhaul how congressional districts are redrawn and impose new disclosures on donations to outside groups active in political campaigns."[68] On social policy, theNational Journal gave Capito a score of 54% conservative and 43% liberal.[43]
Capito has a mixed record on LGBT issues. TheHuman Rights Campaign gave her a score of 30% in the113th Congress and 64% in the114th Congress.[69] She received a 0% score in the115th Congress and a 10% in the116th Congress.[70][71]
In 2004 and 2006, Capito voted for theFederal Marriage Amendment, which intended to bansame-sex marriage in the United States.[72] But in 2015, she said she believed marriage was a state issue.[73] In 2007 Capito voted against theEmployment Non-Discrimination Act and againstrepealing theDon't Ask Don't Tell policy.[74]
In 2009, Capito voted for the2009-2010 Defense Appropriations bill, which expanded the legal definition of ahate crime to include crimes committed because of someone'sgender identity.[74] Also that year, she voted against legislation that defined hate crimes as including those committed because of someone'ssexual orientation.[75] In 2013, she voted to reauthorize theViolence Against Women Act, which includes provisions to assist victims regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and prohibits funding programs that discriminate.[74]
In 2015, Capito voted for an amendment to theRunaway and Homeless Youth Act that provided support and protections for LGBT youth.[76] In 2015, she voted to give same-sex married couples access to Social Security and veterans' benefits.[77][78] In 2017, Capito disagreed with President Trump'suse of Twitter to announce a ban on transgender troops in the military, saying, "we should be thankful for any American who selflessly serves our country to defend our freedoms."[79][80] In 2021, she released a statement that she opposed the inclusion oftrans youth in the sporting programs of their gender identity; in particular, she opposed the inclusion of trans girls in girls' sporting teams and introduced legislation to ban trans girls from participating.[81]
In response to the Supreme Court's decision inObergefell v. Hodges, which found a constitutional right tosame-sex marriage, Capito said, "While I would have preferred that the Supreme Court leave this decision to the states, it is my hope that all West Virginians will move forward and continue to care for and respect one another."[82] In November 2022, Capito was one of 12 Republicans voting to advance legislation, theRespect for Marriage Act, to codify same-sex marriage into federal law; referring to civil same-sex marriage as a "civil partnership," Capito said that the "legislation will allow those who have entered into a civil partnership since the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling inObergefell v. Hodges, to continue to have their partnerships respected for federal benefit purposes."[83][84][85] She voted for the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act on November 29, 2022.[86][87]
Capito had described herself as "pro-choice," orpro-abortion rights, but has a mixed record onabortion.[88][89][90][91] She had previously been among the few Republican senators who publicly supportedRoe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling abortion bans unconstitutional.[92][93][94][95] But in 2020, she declared her support forMarch for Life, ananti-abortion movement,[96] and in 2022, she reversed her position onRoe, saying she believes states should be free to ban abortion.[97][98] She supports legal abortion in cases when the pregnant patient's health is at risk and said abortions should be rare.[99] She has mixed ratings fromanti-abortion organizations opposing abortion andabortion rights organizations advocating legal abortion.[100][101] In 2002, her third-largest contributor wasThe WISH List, an abortion rights PAC.[102] In 2000, she received support fromRepublicans for Choice.[103] She has been endorsed by West Virginians for Life, an anti-abortionPAC, the WISH List, and byRepublican Majority for Choice, an abortion rights PAC.[104][105][106]
Capito voted against federal funding for abortion and for thePartial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, but against banning family-planning funding in US aid. She previously opposed theHyde Amendment, but now supports it.[107][108] She supported federal funding for family planning in the House[109] but voted to require parental consent for minors seeking an abortion.[110] She opposed banning funds formifepristone, the "abortion pill".[111] She voted for spending bills funding Planned Parenthood and against a bill to defund it, but has also voted to defund Planned Parenthood.[112][113][114][115] She is against bans on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy,[116] but supports banning abortion after 20 weeks.[117] She voted with her party in 2018 to ban federal funding for facilities that promote abortion.[118] Capito supports other anti-abortion legislation supported by her party.[119][120][121][122][123][124] In 2021, she signed a letter put forward by the Senate's anti-abortion caucus opposing the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and opposing legislation to liberalize current federal abortion laws.[125][126][127]
In 2017, "West Virginians for Life, said [it] still supports Capito, despite the abortion rights self-identification and support for Roe v. Wade, because of Capito's steadfast voting record restricting abortions and defunding Planned Parenthood".[128] In 2018, Capito said she was neutral on an initiative to ban abortion in West Virginia.[129] She supported Trump's Supreme Court nomineeBrett Kavanaugh; when asked aboutRoe, Capito said she does not think the court will overturn the ruling. "Fundamentally, it's been a precedent for a long time," she said.[130][131] Capito also supported Trump's nomination ofAmy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.[132] Barrett signed a letter calling for the end ofRoe v. Wade, and supported a group that holds that life begins at fertilization.[133][134] In 2020, Capito declined to sign anamicus brief asking the Supreme Court to reconsiderRoe.[135][136][137] Also in 2021, she was one of just three Senate Republicans (withSusan Collins andLisa Murkowski) to decline to sign amicus briefs in the Mississippi case that seeks to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.[138] Asked about a 2022 draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturnRoe v. Wade, reportedly joined by Barrett, Kavanaugh, andNeil Gorsuch, all of whom Capito voted to confirm, she responded by criticizing the leak of the draft and said, "this is a draft opinion that is not binding Supreme Court precedent.Roe still remains the law of the land until the Supreme Court issues its final ruling."[139][140][141] After the Supreme Court overturnedRoe in theDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Capito said she supported the court's decision and believed the issue should be decided at the state level.[142][143] In September 2022, Capito said she was opposed to a national 15-week abortion ban proposed by SenatorLindsey Graham of South Carolina.[144][145][146][147]
Capito is partnering with DemocratsKirsten Gillibrand,Patty Murray,Amy Klobuchar and other bipartisan members of Congress to update theCongressional Accountability Act of 1995.[148] In August 2018, She and SenatorJoe Manchin announced $899,927 for the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services through the U.S. Department of Justice'sOffice on Violence Against Women.[149]
Capito supportsembryonic stem cell research. In 2001, Capito voted for a bill to ban the cloning of human embryos.[150] In May 2005, as a representative, Capito broke with her party, voting with a majority of Democrats, to repeal restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research funding.[151] Capito also voted in 2006 to attempt to override President Bush's veto of the 2005 bill.[150] Also in 2007, Capito again voted in favor of funding stem-cell research.[150] She also voted in favor of research using stem cells derived from donated embryos.[152] In 2009, Capito voted for a budget bill that prohibited the creation of human embryos for research.[150]
Capito was endorsed by theNational Rifle Association of America (NRA) and West Virginia Citizen's Defense League which both support gun owners' rights in 2014.[153] In 2016, she voted in favor of alerting law enforcement when a person suspected of terrorism attempts to purchase a firearm and in favor of an amendment to improve theNational Instant Background Check System, but she voted against two other gun control amendments.[154] In 2018, Capito opposed President Trump's suggestion that teachers be armed, saying, "I don't think a teacher should carry a gun in a classroom."[155] In January 2019, she was one of 31 Republican senators to cosponsor the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, a bill introduced byJohn Cornyn andTed Cruz that would grant individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state the right to exercise this right in any other state with concealed carry laws while concurrently abiding by that state's laws.[156] Capito said she was open to supportingred flag laws.[157] As of 2020, the NRA has given her a rating of 92%, for supporting their positions, andGun Owners of America gives her a 69% rating.[158]
As a representative, Capito opposed theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has since voted repeatedly to repeal it.[159] In July 2017, Capito opposed repealing the ACA without a replacement proposal, and was one of three Republican senators, along withSusan Collins andLisa Murkowski, who blocked a bill to repeal the ACA without a replacement early in the attempted repeal process.[160] Later that July, she voted to repeal the ACA.[161]
Capito was one of a few Republicans who broke with their party in favor of the StateChildren's Health Insurance Program.[162] In January 2009, she voted to expand theChildren's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as part of its reauthorization. The expanded coverage would include about four million more children in the program.[163] In May 2008, Capito voted for thePost-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (commonly called the new G.I. Bill), which expanded the educational benefits for military veterans who have served since September 11, 2001.[164] During the112th Congress, she voted for H.R. 525 to expand the ACA grant programs.[165] In 2014, she supported repealing the Affordable Care Act.[166]
On March 3, 2017, Capito supported preserving the ACA's Medicaid expansion in any GOP bill to repeal it .[167] With three other Republicans, she signed a letter opposing the House plan to repeal the ACA.[168][169] She opposed theBetter Care Reconciliation Act because of her opposition to an amendment to the bill as well as over opioid issues.[170][171] She was one of seven Republicans who voted against repealing the ACA without a replacement.[172][173][174]
In 2018, Capito voted for the bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act to address the nation's opioid crisis.[175][176] She also voted to increaseTelemedicine funding in five West Virginia counties.[177]
In January 2019, Capito cosponsored the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act, a bipartisan bill that would continue federal funding of community health centers and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) beyond that year's September 30 deadline for five years and provide both with yearly federal funding increases beginning in fiscal year 2020.[178] In 2021, she announced support for increasing funding for virtual healthcare options, and she co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to expand seniors' access to Telehealth, with "virtual [healthcare] visits."[179] She supports extending Medicare to cover therapies to prevent diabetes.[180][181]
In 2024, Capito led a bill to create an advisory council to support research, care, and services to find a cure forParkinson’s disease.[182]
Capito has said that she does not support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, but voted against a 2004 bill that would have forced hospitals to report undocumented immigrants; she also voted for a 2001 bill to allow some immigrants to "remain in the country while pursuing residency".[183] In 2010, she voted against theDREAM Act.[184] In 2018, Capito said of DACA and immigration, "It's probably going to be some sort of legal status for DACA recipients that gives them the permanence of legal status and then the border security".[185] Of her views on DACA, Capito's office said that she "could support an immigration solution that provides for increased border security to protect Americans and provides relief for those in the DACA program. She is encouraged by ongoing negotiations between the Trump Administration and members of Congress to improve immigration policy and add resources for enforcement."[186]
In 2018, Capito voted to withhold federal funding fromsanctuary cities, voted against the McCain-Coons proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship without funding for a border wall, against Senator Collins's bipartisan bill to increase funding for border security and offer a pathway to citizenship, and in favor of Trump's proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants while reducing legal immigration numbers and using federal funds to build a border wall.[187] In December 2018, Capito supported a bipartisan compromise funding bill that would have allocated $1.6 billion, instead of the $5 billion Trump requested, for a border wall to avoid agovernment shutdown.[188]
Capito voiced disagreement with Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy that included separating children from their parents or guardians. She said, "we need to keep the families together".[189] In 2019, she supported legislation to increase funding and humanitarian aid for "relief and comfort for migrants" on the US southern border.[190] She also voted in committee for a bipartisan plan with $4.6 billion in funding with "$2.9 billion for the care of migrant children and $1.3 billion to improve facilities at the border".[191]
Special interest groups for and against immigration reform have given Capito mixed ratings.NumbersUSA, which opposes illegal immigration and seeks to reduce legal immigration, gave her an 81% score and theFederation for American Immigration Reform, which also opposes illegal immigration and wants to reduce legal immigration, gave her an 88% score; conversely, theHispanic Federation andUnidosUS, which both support immigration, gave Capito a 59% rating.[153]
Capito disagreed with U.S. Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions's 2018 memo on marijuana-related prosecutions, saying, "I'm going to go on the record as saying I'm againstrecreational marijuana, but I respect the states' rights to make that decision".[192] She also said that she had concerns, but accepted and supported thelegalization of medical marijuana.[193]
Capito has received at lifetime rating of 17% from theLeague of Conservation Voters, indicating an anti-environment voting record.[194] In 2018, she voted for a bill that would curtail the federal government's ability to regulatefracking. She has also voted to restrict theDepartment of the Interior's ability to regulatemethane emissions.[195]
In February 2019, in response to reports of the EPA intending to decide against setting drinking water limits for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) andperfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as part of an upcoming national strategy to manage the aforementioned class of chemicals, Capito was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Acting EPA AdministratorAndrew R. Wheeler calling on the EPA "to develop enforceable federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, as well as institute immediate actions to protect the public from contamination from additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)."[196] In 2020, she cosponsored legislation with fellow West Virginia SenatorJoe Manchin to "enhance a tax credit that Congress expanded in 2018 to spur investment in carbon capture technology."[197]
Capito has sponsored approximately 40 bills aboutinternational trade andinternational finance, the most of any other legislative topic during her career.[198] She criticized the vulnerabilities in national security policy in the wake of the2015 San Bernardino attack[199] and has sponsored eight bills on the military and national security.[198] Capito was one of 47 Republican senators to sign SenatorTom Cotton'sopen letter to the Iranian government in 2015.[200] The letter, which sought to dissuade Iran from reaching an agreement with PresidentBarack Obama onnuclear peace, was described by theWhite House as "undercutting foreign policy".[201]
In April 2017, Capito co-sponsored theIsrael Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720), which would make it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel andIsraeli settlements in the occupiedPalestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.[202][203]
On foreign policy, theNational Journal gave her a score of 77% conservative and 15% liberal.[43]
In 2005, Capito voted against theDominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the major trade agreement negotiated under PresidentGeorge W. Bush. In 2003, 2004, and 2007, she voted to approvefree trade agreements withChile,Singapore,Australia, andPeru. She supports tariffs against countries thatmanipulate currencies, and she sponsored a bill that would create an import fee on countries with an undervalued currency.[43]
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Capito supports the Republican Main Street Partnership's motion to elevate theEPA to be a Cabinet-level department, which would bring more oversight to the entity.[204]
Capito opposes legislation aimed at cappinggreenhouse gas emissions.[205] In January 2010, she reportedly asked the president if he would reconsider "job-killing" policies like limiting greenhouse gases.[206]
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In March 2011, Capito and other members of West Virginia's House delegation co-sponsored a campaign to allow the remains of the last American living veteran ofWorld War I,Frank Buckles, to lie in state at theCapitol rotunda. The move, requested by Buckles's family, had been blocked by Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid and House SpeakerJohn Boehner. Reid and Boehner supported a special ceremony at theArlington National Cemetery. Capito said, "This is a matter close to the hearts of many West Virginians, but everyone can appreciate the desire to come together one last time to respect and remember America’s lastdoughboy". The campaign was unsuccessful and Buckles lay in honor at the Arlington National Cemetery.[207]
Capito supported Trump's decision to withdraw from theParis climate agreement. She called the decision "the right decision for the American economy and workers in West Virginia and across the country."[208] She supports regulations implemented by the EPA, based on her bipartisan legislation, to increase clean water standards.[209]
In March 2023, Capito introduced theAccelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2023 in support ofgeneration IV reactor technology and nuclear development in general. The ADVANCE Act was incorporated into theFire Grants and Safety Act and signed into law in July 2024.[210][211]
In 2016, the fiscally conservative PAC theClub for Growth gave her a 50% lifetime rating.[100] In 2011, while in the House, Capito voted for aBalanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution.[212] In 2020, she said she opposed cuts to government spending, but also opposed any increases.[213]
In December 2010, Capito voted to extend thetax cuts enacted during the administration of President George W. Bush.[214]
Capito supports a federal prohibition on online poker. In 2006, she cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act.[215] She also supported H.R. 4411, theGoodlatte-LeachInternet Gambling Prohibition Act.[216] In June 2003, Capito introduced the Family Fairness in Taxing Act of 2003, which would accelerate the increase to the child tax credit, increase the qualification age for children, and revise refundability criteria for the credit.[217]
In 2001, Capito voted in favor of theBush tax cuts.[218] In 2002, she supported partially privatizing Social Security but opposed complete privatization.[219] In 2006, Capito joined Democrats to vote for an increase of the minimum wage.[220] In 2012, during her campaign for the Senate, the Senate Conservative Fund opposed her nomination because "her spending record in the House is too liberal".[221] In 2013, she voted against cutting funding for food stamps.[222] In 2017, Capito opposed President Trump's proposed budget, saying that it would cut "too close to the bone".[223] In 2017, she said she supported full repeal of theinheritance tax.[224] She also voted in favor of Trump's tax cut bill.[225] In 2019, she came out against budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration.[226] Capito was among a few Republicans, includingJoni Ernst of Iowa andSusan Collins of Maine, to express criticism of Trump's nominee to theFederal Reserve,Stephen Moore, because of comments he had made about women; he ultimately withdrew the nomination.[227][228][229] In 2019, Capito announced support for paidfamily leave.[230] In 2020, she opposed budget cuts due to the "spending needs" of states like West Virginia.[231] On September 30, 2021, she was among 15 Senate Republicans to vote with all Democrats and both Independents for a temporary spending bill to avoid agovernment shutdown.[232][233] On October 7, 2021, she was one of 11 Republicans voting with all members of the Democratic caucus to end a filibuster on raising thedebt ceiling,[234][235] but voted against the bill to raise the debt ceiling.[236] On August 10, 2021, Capito was one of 19 Senate Republicans to vote with the Democratic caucus in favor of theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[237] On economic issues, theNational Journal gave her a rating of 53% conservative and 47% liberal.[43]
Capito opposed having a hearing for President Obama's nominee,Merrick Garland, to the Supreme Court due to the nomination's proximity to the 2016 presidential election.[238] In 2017, she voted to confirm President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee,Neil Gorsuch.[239] After Trump nominated a second justice, Capito announced her support for the nominee,Brett Kavanaugh, and after he was accused of sexual assault, she continued to support his nomination.[239] But she also said she considered the allegation serious and was among a handful of Republican senators to ask for a vote to be delayed in order to hear from the accuser and from Kavanaugh.[240] Some of her fellow alumnae from the Holton-Arms School personally delivered her a letter signed by more than a thousand alumnae of the school, saying that they believe Kavanaugh's accuser because her allegations are "all too consistent with stories we heard and lived" while attending Holton-Arms.[241]
In March 2019, Capito was one of 12 senators to cosponsor a resolution that would impose a constitutional amendment limiting the Supreme Court to nine justices. The resolution was introduced after multiple Democratic presidential candidates expressed openness to the idea of expanding the seats on the Supreme Court.[242]
In September 2020, less than two months before the next presidential election, Capito supported an immediate vote on Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy caused by JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg's death. In March 2016, she took the opposite position when facing Obama's nominee, saying that a justice should not be considered during a presidential election year because "West Virginians and the American people should have the ability to weigh in at the ballot box".[243] As of November 2021, Capito had a mixed voting record on Biden's judicial nominees.[244][245][246][247]
Capito was considered a possible contender for vice president on the Republican ticket withDonald Trump in2016,[248][249] and in May 2016 she was one of several senators to meet with Trump inWashington, D.C.[250] In the end, Trump picked Indiana Governor and former U.S. RepresentativeMike Pence to join him on the Republican ticket.
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 33,667 | 100.00 | ||
| Total votes | 33,667 | 100.00 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 108,769 | 48.49 | ||
| Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 103,003 | 45.92 | ||
| Libertarian | John Brown | 12,543 | 5.59 | ||
| Total votes | 224,315 | 100.00 | |||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 32,655 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 32,655 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 98,276 | 60.04 | |
| Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 65,400 | 39.96 | |
| Total votes | 163,676 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 40,985 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 40,985 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,676 | 57.46 | |
| Democratic | Erik Wells | 106,131 | 41.29 | |
| Mountain | Julian Martin | 3,218 | 1.25 | |
| Total votes | 257,025 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 29,031 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 29,031 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 94,110 | 57.18 | |
| Democratic | Mike Callaghan | 70,470 | 42.82 | |
| Total votes | 164,580 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 42,476 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 42,476 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,334 | 57.07 | |
| Democratic | Anne Barth | 110,819 | 42.92 | |
| Write-in | 16 | 0.01 | ||
| Total votes | 258,169 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 27,958 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 27,958 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 126,814 | 68.46 | |
| Democratic | Virginia Lynch Graf | 55,001 | 29.69 | |
| Constitution | Phil Hudok | 3,431 | 1.85 | |
| Total votes | 185,246 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 35,088 | 82.96 | ||
| Republican | Jonathan Miller | 4,711 | 11.14 | ||
| Republican | Michael Davis | 2,495 | 5.90 | ||
| Total votes | 42,294 | 100.00 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 158,206 | 69.77 | ||
| Democratic | Howard Swint | 68,560 | 30.23 | ||
| Total votes | 226,766 | 100.00 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 74,655 | 87.50 | ||
| Republican | Matthew Dodrill | 7,072 | 8.29 | ||
| Republican | Larry Butcher | 3,595 | 4.21 | ||
| Total votes | 85,322 | 100.00 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 281,820 | 62.12 | ||
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant | 156,360 | 34.47 | ||
| Libertarian | John Buckley | 7,409 | 1.63 | ||
| Mountain | Bob Henry Baber | 5,504 | 1.21 | ||
| Constitution | Phil Hudok | 2,566 | 0.57 | ||
| Total votes | 453,658 | 100.00 | |||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 173,331 | 83.34 | ||
| Republican | Allen Whitt | 19,972 | 9.60 | ||
| Republican | Larry Butcher | 14,673 | 7.06 | ||
| Total votes | 207,976 | 100.00 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 547,454 | 70.28 | ||
| Democratic | Paula Jean Swearengin | 210,309 | 27.00 | ||
| Libertarian | David Moran | 21,155 | 2.72 | ||
| Total votes | 778,918 | 100.00 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Capito is married to Charles L. Capito, and they have three children: sons Charles andMoore, and daughter Shelley.[270] Her father served over two years in prison on corruption charges. Her sister, Lucy Moore Durbin, was arrested in 1992 along with her husband for selling cocaine to an undercover officer.[271] Capito and the Moore Capito family are members of First Presbyterian Church inCharleston, West Virginia, a congregation of thePresbyterian Church (USA).[272][273][274]
In September 2015,Runner's World featured Capito in its "I'm a Runner"vlog, where she states she has been adistance runner for over 30 years.[275]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWest Virginia's 2nd congressional district 2001–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Women's Caucus 2003–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromWest Virginia (Class 2) 2014,2020 | Most recent |
| Preceded by | Vice Chair of theSenate Republican Conference 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Chair of theSenate Republican Policy Committee 2025–present | Incumbent | |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from West Virginia 2015–present Served alongside:Joe Manchin,Jim Justice | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Environment Committee 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Chair of theSenate Environment Committee 2025–present | Incumbent | |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by Joni Ernst | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States senators by seniority 47th | Succeeded by |
Statewide elected officials and legislative leaders ofWest Virginia | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
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| Supreme Court |
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| Public Buildings (1838–1857) | | |
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| Public Buildings and Grounds (1857–1947) | ||
| Public Works (1947–1977) | ||
| Environment and Public Works (1977–present) | ||
| Class 1 | | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
