Republican
Larry Eugene Butcher did not respond
Shelley Moore Capito
Age: 66
Residence: Charleston
Education: B.S. in zoology from Duke University and a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia.
Political and civic experience: Served four years as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates before representing West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District for 14 years (2001-2014) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first female elected to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Senate in 2014.
Professional experience: First dedicated professional life to serving students, working as a college counselor and advisor at West Virginia State College (now University). Also served as director of the Educational Information Center for the West Virginia Board of Regents.
Campaign statement: I’m forever humbled by the confidence voters placed in me to serve as their voice in Washington. I look forward to traveling the state in the months to come and campaigning. Working together, we can win big in 2020 and deliver even better results in the years to come.
Top priorities: In the five short years since being elected to the Senate, I have been a driving force behind legislation increasing cancer survival rates among children, combating the growing crisis of women’s deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth complications, ending the curse of Alzheimer’s disease and investing in research to explore innovative treatments and cures for diseases.
Allen Whitt
Age: 52
Residence: Kenna
Education: B.A. in communications, Auburn University.
Political and civic experience: 10 years as a pro-family lobbyist.
Professional experience: Seven years as the president of the Family Policy Council of West Virginia.
Campaign statement: West Virginia has the chance to replace the third most liberal Republican in the Senate with an unwavering conservative who will defend constitutional rights and support the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy. While our current senator has voted for federal funding for abortion, backed gun control proposals and broken her campaign promise to vote to repeal Obamacare, I am 100% pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment and pro-freedom.
Top priorities: I want to help President Trump roll back the assault on our freedoms, particularly the right to life and the right to bear arms. I want to help make sure that West Virginia can develop a prosperous economy, not one that relies on handouts that simply further a culture of despair. The best way to support workers is to create the conditions for them to prosper. I will also only vote to confirm originalist justices.
Democrat
Richard N. Ojeda II did not respond
Richie Robb
Age: 74
Residence: South Charleston
Education: B.A. Marshall University, history, and J.D. Capital University.
Political and civic experience: Mayor of South Charleston, 1975– 2007; elected member of West Virginia Democratic Party Executive Committee.
Campaign statement: West Virginia has fallen behind the rest of the nation. We need good jobs. We must emerge from this COVID-19 crisis with a commitment to catch up. Elected leaders constantly talk about this but little has been done. Mayor of the state’s 10th largest city for 32 prosperous years and awarded the Bronze Star, I am a practicing attorney, married to a teacher, and we have two children and an adorable granddaughter.
Top priorities: Good jobs. Former U.S. Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller made bringing good jobs to West Virginia their priority. This has not occurred since they left office. There are any number of ways this can be done, but most of all we need the know-how and commitment to do it. Medical care needs to be affordable, accessible and easy to understand with an emphasis on prevention.
Paula Jean Swearengin
Age: 45
Residence: Coal City
Education: High school diploma
Political and civic experience: I have spent decades fighting for clean air, clean water and economic diversity. I have worked with many organizations, including the Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, Alliance for Appalachia, We the People Detroit and 360.org. I have even had the honor of speaking at the United Nations.
Professional experience: Office management, bookkeeping, medical billing.
Campaign statement: It is time for West Virginia voices to be heard in Washington and for West Virginians to be the top priority for our elected officials. That is what our campaign is all about. Our campaign is the only one in this race that refuses corporate and corporate PAC money, which means we are only beholden to the people of West Virginia, not corporations or special interests. We are fighting for you and the future of West Virginia.
Top priorities: I will fight for bold policies like universal health care and getting dark money out of politics. West Virginia needs economic diversity and the Reclaim Act can revitalize towns across this state. Add comprehensive broadband to that and our state can thrive. I will also be working with people on the front lines of our communities for policy roundtables to involve West Virginians in the process. We know how to solve our problems because we live them.
