Shelley Moore Capito wins Senate primary

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito easily won West Virginia’s GOP Senate primary Tuesday as she marches toward a second term in the upper chamber. 

Moore Capito won with 85 percent of the vote with 18 percent of precincts reporting, prevailing over two Republican challengers. She first won her seat in 2014, securing her place in the Senate with 62 percent of the vote. 

Moore Capito will face off against Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin, a progressive who mounted a primary challenge against Sen. Joe Manchin (D) in 2018. Swearengin was leading her nearest primary opponent, Richard Ojeda, by 38 percent to 33 percent, with 97 percent of precincts reporting. 

Ojeda is a former West Virginia state senator and Army veteran who lost to Rep. Carol Miller (R) in the 2018 race for the state’s 3rd District.

West Virginia’s Senate race is not anticipated to be competitive. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the race as “solid” Republican.