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2026 U.S. Senate race in West Virginia
West Virginia voters will elect one U.S. senator in 2026 for the state’s Class II seat. The race is notable because it is an open-seat-style contest in the sense that the current senator, Shelley Moore Capito, is running for reelection while the seat is also part of the broader fight for Senate control; Ballotpedia rates the race as solid/safe Republican. West Virginia has trended strongly Republican in recent federal elections, and the main contrast in the race is likely to be between the GOP incumbent’s record and the Democratic nominee chosen in the May primary.
Candidates
Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito is the incumbent U.S. senator from West Virginia and is seeking reelection in 2026. Her campaign and Senate biography emphasize her long record in West Virginia politics, her work on infrastructure, broadband, and regulatory issues, and her alignment with conservative priorities.
Thornton Cooper is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. Ballotpedia lists him among the declared Democratic primary candidates, but a detailed public campaign biography was not readily available in the sources reviewed.
Rachel Fetty Anderson is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. In the sources reviewed, she is listed as a declared candidate, but a detailed public biography, website, and official social accounts were not confirmed.
Jeffrey Kessler is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. He is listed by Ballotpedia as a candidate in the race, but the sources reviewed did not provide a campaign website or a current campaign biography for this contest.
Rio Phillips is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. Ballotpedia lists him as a candidate and shows limited campaign finance activity, but the sources reviewed did not surface a detailed official biography or campaign website.
Zachary Shrewsbury is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary and was also a 2024 Senate candidate in the state. Ballotpedia’s race page shows him as an active candidate with notable fundraising relative to other Democrats in the field, but the sources reviewed did not provide a full current campaign biography for this cycle.
Alexander Gaaserud is a Republican candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. He is listed by Ballotpedia as a declared candidate, but the sources reviewed did not identify a campaign website or a detailed public biography.
Bryan McKinney is a Republican candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. Ballotpedia lists him among the declared candidates, but the reviewed sources did not provide a campaign website, social media, or biographical details.
Janet McNulty is a Republican candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. She appears on Ballotpedia’s candidate list, but the sources reviewed did not confirm a current campaign website or detailed biography for this race.
David Purkey is a Republican candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. In the sources reviewed, he is listed as a candidate, but no official campaign website or biographical profile was confirmed.
Tom Willis is a Republican candidate in the 2026 West Virginia U.S. Senate primary. Ballotpedia lists him as a candidate, and the race page shows he has raised more money than most of the other non-incumbent challengers, but the reviewed sources did not provide a full biography or official campaign site.
Data Analysis Information
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 4/6/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.