Compare candidates running in this West Virginia federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.
Party: Democrat
Party: Democrat
Party: Democrat
Party: Democrat
Party: Democrat
Party: Republican
Party: Republican
West Virginia is a heavily Republican state that currently holds a Republican seat. This race is not expected to be competitive and will not significantly impact Senate control given Republican dominance of the state.
Thornton Cooper is a South Charleston-based attorney and 2024 Democratic nominee for West Virginia Secretary of State. He is an active member of the West Virginia State Bar since 1978 and has been involved in numerous public interest legal matters. Cooper has developed redistricting plans from 1981 to the present, participated in election-law court cases, and been a long-time activist in political campaigns since his teenage years. He currently serves as South Charleston Democratic Party Chairman. Cooper brings legal expertise and extensive experience in constitutional and electoral issues to the 2026 Senate race.
Jeffrey Vincent Kessler is a former West Virginia State Senator and former President of the West Virginia Senate with 20 years of legislative service (1997-2017). Born November 16, 1955, in Wheeling, West Virginia, Kessler is an attorney and partner in the law firm Berry, Kessler, Crutchfield, Taylor & Gordon. He also served as municipal court judge in McMechen (1982-1989), city solicitor in Benwood (1983-1997), and in various Senate leadership roles. Kessler earned his B.A. from West Liberty State College (1977), J.D. from West Virginia College of Law (1981), and is an active member of the West Virginia State Bar since 1978. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 2011 and 2016, and for West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in a special election. Kessler brings substantial legislative experience and legal expertise to the 2026 Senate race.
Zachary Shrewsbury is a political organizer, former U.S. Marine Corps veteran (2010-2015), and community activist from Princeton, West Virginia. He served as a community organizer for climate justice and labor organizations, and is a founder of the progressive 'Bluejay Rising' political group. Shrewsbury ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, losing the Democratic primary to Glenn Elliott who faced Republican Jim Justice in the general election. Shrewsbury is running again in 2026 against incumbent Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito. He previously ran as a featured speaker on U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour in August 2025.
Rio Phillips is a progressive working-class Democrat and cybersecurity technician running to lift West Virginia out of poverty. Phillips submitted campaign biography emphasizing desire to 'pull the greedy fingers of billionaires off this state.' Phillips looks to Bernie Sanders as a political inspiration, citing Sanders' commitment to working-class liberal values, consistency on issues from wealth inequality to Gaza and billionaire accountability.
Rachel Fetty Anderson is a public interest attorney and mother of four who has lived in West Virginia since 2007. She served as a Morgantown city councilmember and deputy mayor. Fetty Anderson is a former graduate of public and private schools through 6th grade before being homeschooled by her parents. She earned her law license in New Mexico in 1999 and in West Virginia in 2010. She has practiced public interest law representing children, families, domestic violence victims, students requiring special education, family members seeking adoption or guardianship, Medicaid and Medicare recipients, and disabled children and adults. She has also served as a licensed foster parent and has personal experience with family hardship and poverty. Anderson represents a younger generation of Democrats seeking term limits and renewal of leadership in West Virginia.
Tom Willis is a West Virginia State Senator representing the 15th district (Berkeley County area) since November 2024. He is a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret officer with 25+ years of military service, attorney, businessman, and community leader. Willis was born in the Eastern Panhandle and is a Christian, husband, and father of three surviving children. He earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia, J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law, and L.L.M. in tax law from Georgetown University Law Center. Willis defeated incumbent and powerful State Senate President Craig Blair in the 2024 primary, proving he could challenge established politicians. He was appointed to lead the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee in December 2025 despite being a freshman senator and running for U.S. Senate. Willis ran for U.S. Senate in 2018, coming in fourth in the Republican primary with approximately 10% of the vote.
Shelley Moore Capito is the senior Republican senator from West Virginia, first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020. Born in Glendale, West Virginia, on November 26, 1953, she earned her B.S. from Duke University (1975) and M.Ed. from the University of Virginia (1976). Before entering the Senate, she served as a college counselor, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates (1997-2001), and U.S. Representative from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2001-2015). Capito is the first female U.S. senator in West Virginia's history and the first West Virginia Republican to win a full Senate term since 1942. She is currently the fourth-ranking member of the Republican-controlled Senate and chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee.
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Limited documented primary opponent attacks; Kessler is more established than other Democratic challengers
Capito's campaigns historically note she has strong fundraising and proven record
Shrewsbury 'crossed a line with a woman in our movement' and 'betrayed a trust that no friendship can excuse'
Linko-Looper withdrew endorsement in August 2025 after groping allegations came public
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'Misinformation has been used against the senator before by Democrat opponents and this is more of the same.' Capito has a proven record and West Virginians know her well.
Response to Willis's primary challenge, defending Capito's record against Willis allegations
Capito has been in Washington too long and no longer represents conservative values; voted for Afghan refugee resettlement, red flag gun laws, and skipped vote on male athletes in girls' sports
Willis claims Capito ranked among highest Senate members for insider trading and that she is part of Washington establishment that has let down West Virginia
Capito's family represents 'oligarchical presence' in West Virginia politics through her father (former Gov. Arch Moore), brother-in-law (U.S. Rep. Riley Moore), and nephew (U.S. Attorney Moore Capito)
Willis uses family political dominance as criticism of entrenched power
Capito voted for Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' (Working Families Tax Cuts/Inflation Reduction Act modifications) that cut Medicaid and raised healthcare costs for West Virginians
Jeff Kessler and other Democrats cite healthcare impact as key campaign criticism
Capito is a 'rubber stamp for Trump's political agenda' and abandicated legislative duties by not holding executive branch accountable
Jeff Kessler and Democratic primary candidates argue Capito fails constitutional oversight responsibilities
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