United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2026

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2024
U.S. Senate, West Virginia
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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.
Voting in West Virginia

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
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, West Virginia
U.S. Senate1st2nd
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:

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 Connection = candidate completed 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 Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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 trackerRace ratings
12/9/202512/2/202511/25/202511/18/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe 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
Image of Jim Justice
Jim Justice (R)
 
68.8
 
514,079
Image of Glenn Elliott
Glenn Elliott (D) Candidate Connection
 
27.8
 
207,548
Image of David Moran
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 Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
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
Image of Glenn Elliott
Glenn Elliott Candidate Connection
 
45.4
 
46,176
Image of Zachary Shrewsbury
Zachary Shrewsbury Candidate Connection
 
36.1
 
36,754
Image of Don Blankenship
Don Blankenship
 
18.5
 
18,778

Total votes: 101,708
Candidate Connection = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
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
Image of Jim Justice
Jim Justice
 
61.8
 
138,307
Image of Alexander Mooney
Alexander Mooney
 
26.5
 
59,348
Image of Bryan Bird
Bryan Bird Candidate Connection
 
3.1
 
7,001
Image of Bryan McKinney
Bryan McKinney Candidate Connection
 
2.9
 
6,573
Image of Zane Lawhorn
Zane Lawhorn Candidate Connection
 
2.0
 
4,517
Image of Janet McNulty
Janet McNulty Candidate Connection
 
2.0
 
4,404
Don Lindsay
 
1.6
 
3,503

Total votes: 223,653
Candidate Connection = 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
Image of Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito (R)
 
70.3
 
547,454
Image of Paula Jean Swearengin
Paula Jean Swearengin (D) Candidate Connection
 
27.0
 
210,309
Image of David Moran
David Moran (L)
 
2.7
 
21,155

Total votes: 778,918
Candidate Connection = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Paula Jean Swearengin
Paula Jean Swearengin Candidate Connection
 
38.3
 
71,725
Image of Richard Ojeda
Richard Ojeda
 
32.9
 
61,712
Image of Richie Robb
Richie Robb Candidate Connection
 
28.8
 
53,944

Total votes: 187,381
Candidate Connection = 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 defeated Allen Whitt and Larry Butcher in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito
 
83.3
 
173,331
Image of Allen Whitt
Allen Whitt Candidate Connection
 
9.6
 
19,972
Larry Butcher
 
7.1
 
14,673

Total votes: 207,976
Candidate Connection = 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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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
Image of Joe Manchin III
Joe Manchin III (D)
 
49.6
 
290,510
Image of Patrick Morrisey
Patrick Morrisey (R)
 
46.3
 
271,113
Image of Rusty Hollen
Rusty Hollen (L)
 
4.2
 
24,411

Total votes: 586,034
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = 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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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.


See also: Presidential voting trends in West Virginia and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for West Virginia, 2026
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

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, West Virginia
District Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
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:


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.

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

See also: List of United States Senators from West Virginia

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in West Virginia.

U.S. Senate election results in West Virginia
Race Winner Runner up
2024 68.8%Republican Party 27.8%Democratic Party
2020 70.3%Republican Party 27.0%Democratic Party
2018 49.6%Democratic Party 46.3%Republican Party
2014 62.1%Republican Party 34.5%Democratic Party
2012 60.8%Democratic Party 36.5%Republican Party
Average 62.3 34.4

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of West Virginia

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in West Virginia.

Gubernatorial election results in West Virginia
Race Winner Runner up
2024 62.0%Republican Party 31.6%Democratic Party
2020 63.5%Republican Party 30.2%Democratic Party
2016 49.1%Democratic Party 42.3%Republican Party
2012 50.5%Republican Party 45.7%Democratic Party
2011 49.6%Democratic Party 47.1%Republican Party
Average 54.9 39.4
See also: Party control of West Virginia state government

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.

State executive officials in West Virginia, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Patrick Morrisey
Secretary of State Republican Party Kris Warner
Attorney General Republican Party John B. McCuskey

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
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West Virginia congressional delegation
Voting in West Virginia
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Republican Party (4)