United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2026
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← 2024
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| U.S. Senate, West Virginia |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 31, 2026 |
| Primary: May 12, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd West Virginia elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in West Virginia will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 12, 2026. The filing deadline is January 31, 2026. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Shelley Moore Capito (R), who first took office in 2015. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2026 (May 12 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2026 (May 12 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on May 12, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Rio Phillips and Zachary Shrewsbury are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 12, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Rio Phillips ![]() | ||
| Zachary Shrewsbury | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito, Derrick Evans, Alexander Gaaserud, Bryan McKinney, and Tom Willis are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 12, 2026.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in West Virginia
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelley Moore Capito | Republican Party | $3,957,207 | $2,297,231 | $4,130,506 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Rio Phillips | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Zachary Shrewsbury | Democratic Party | $148,671 | $131,006 | $17,664 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Derrick Evans | Republican Party | $1,062,145 | $1,001,214 | $60,931 | As of December 31, 2024 |
| Alexander Gaaserud | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Bryan McKinney | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Tom Willis | Republican Party | $200,178 | $43,817 | $156,361 | As of September 30, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in West Virginia, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/9/2025 | 12/2/2025 | 11/25/2025 | 11/18/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in West Virginia in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in West Virginia, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | 1% of annual salary | 1/31/2026 | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1% of votes cast for this office in the last election, but no fewer than 25 | 1% of annual salary | 8/3/2026 | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2018.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jim Justice (R) | 68.8 | 514,079 | |
Glenn Elliott (D) ![]() | 27.8 | 207,548 | ||
| David Moran (L) | 3.5 | 26,075 | ||
| Tim Stevenski (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 7 | ||
| Lewie Andrews (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 6 | ||
| Joshua Standridge (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 2 | ||
| Total votes: 747,717 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Christopher Rose (R)
- Michael Sigmon (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Glenn Elliott defeated Zachary Shrewsbury and Don Blankenship in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Glenn Elliott ![]() | 45.4 | 46,176 | |
Zachary Shrewsbury ![]() | 36.1 | 36,754 | ||
| Don Blankenship | 18.5 | 18,778 | ||
| Total votes: 101,708 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joe Manchin III (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jim Justice | 61.8 | 138,307 | |
| Alexander Mooney | 26.5 | 59,348 | ||
Bryan Bird ![]() | 3.1 | 7,001 | ||
Bryan McKinney ![]() | 2.9 | 6,573 | ||
Zane Lawhorn ![]() | 2.0 | 4,517 | ||
Janet McNulty ![]() | 2.0 | 4,404 | ||
| Don Lindsay | 1.6 | 3,503 | ||
| Total votes: 223,653 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Paula Jean Swearengin and David Moran in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Shelley Moore Capito (R) | 70.3 | 547,454 | |
Paula Jean Swearengin (D) ![]() | 27.0 | 210,309 | ||
| David Moran (L) | 2.7 | 21,155 | ||
| Total votes: 778,918 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Franklin Riley (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Paula Jean Swearengin defeated Richard Ojeda and Richie Robb in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Paula Jean Swearengin ![]() | 38.3 | 71,725 | |
| Richard Ojeda | 32.9 | 61,712 | ||
Richie Robb ![]() | 28.8 | 53,944 | ||
| Total votes: 187,381 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Allen Whitt and Larry Butcher in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Shelley Moore Capito | 83.3 | 173,331 | |
Allen Whitt ![]() | 9.6 | 19,972 | ||
| Larry Butcher | 7.1 | 14,673 | ||
| Total votes: 207,976 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Patrick Morrisey and Rusty Hollen in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Joe Manchin III (D) | 49.6 | 290,510 | |
| Patrick Morrisey (R) | 46.3 | 271,113 | ||
| Rusty Hollen (L) | 4.2 | 24,411 | ||
| Total votes: 586,034 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia's 1st | Carol Miller | R+22 |
| West Virginia's 2nd | Riley Moore | R+20 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris |
Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia's 1st | 27.0% | 71.0% |
| West Virginia's 2nd | 29.0% | 69.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 100% of West Virginians lived in one of the state's 55 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024. Overall, West Virginia was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in West Virginia following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| West Virginia county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 0 | 0.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 55 | 100.0% | |||||
Historical voting trends
West Virginia presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 15 Democratic wins
- 17 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in West Virginia.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of West Virginia
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in West Virginia.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of West Virginia's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from West Virginia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 4 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in West Virginia's top three state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
West Virginia State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 2 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 34 | |
West Virginia House of Delegates
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 91 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Eight years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D[5] | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in West Virginia and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | United States | |
| Population | 1,793,716 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 24,041 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 90.9% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 3.3% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 0.7% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 4.3% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.6% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 23.3% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $57,917 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 16.6% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| West Virginia | 2026 primaries | 2026 U.S. Congress elections |
|---|---|---|
|
Voting in West Virginia West Virginia elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries |
U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
