Shelley Moore Capito

Republican senior Senator of West Virginia

Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 3, 2001 - January 3, 2003
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 7, 2003 - January 3, 2005
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 4, 2005 - January 3, 2007
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 4, 2007 - January 3, 2009
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2011
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
West Virginia, district 2
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Senator
West Virginia
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2021
Senator
West Virginia
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2027

202-224-6472

@SenCapito

capito.senate.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

Senate Terms

November 26, 1953 (71 years old)

Birthday

American politician and retired educator
Serving in her second term as a junior United States senator since 2015
Served seven terms as a U.S. representative from 2001 to 2015
Daughter of a three-term West Virginia governor
Dean of West Virginia’s congressional delegation
First Republican woman elected to Congress from West Virginia
First woman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia
First Republican to win a full term in the Senate from West Virginia since 1942
Re-elected in 2020, becoming the first West Virginia Republican reelected to the Senate since 1907
Served as the ranking member of the Senate Environment Committee since 2021
Will become West Virginia’s senior senator in January 2025
Educated at Duke University (Bachelor’s in zoology) and the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development (Master’s degree)
Career counselor at West Virginia State University and director of the educational information center for the West Virginia Board of Regents before entering politics
Elected to Kanawha County’s seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1996, serving two terms
Founded the Congressional Coal Caucus after the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster
Served on the House Page Board during the Mark Foley congressional page incident
Appointed as counsel to the majority leader in 2016
Votes with her party 96% of the time but is considered relatively moderate
Initially raised concerns about Donald Trump’s candidacy but supported him in the 2016 and 2020 elections
Has a mixed record on LGBT issues, voting for and against measures affecting the LGBT community
Described as “pro-choice” earlier in her career but has a mixed record on abortion, supporting some restrictions
Supports embryonic stem cell research
Endorsed by the National Rifle Association and supports gun owners’ rights
Opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act but has voted for healthcare measures like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program
Does not support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but has voted for some measures supporting immigrants
Disagreed with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s memo on marijuana-related prosecutions, supporting states’ rights to make decisions on recreational and medical marijuana
Received a lifetime rating of 17% from the League of Conservation Voters, indicating an anti-environment voting record
Sponsored approximately 40 bills about international trade and finance, criticized the Obama administration’s national security policy
Voted against the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement but supported other free trade agreements
Opposes legislation aimed at capping greenhouse gas emissions
Voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Opposed having a hearing for Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court nomination in 2016 but supported Trump’s nominees
Considered a possible contender for vice president on the Republican ticket with Donald Trump in 2016