With the next midterm elections on the horizon, West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race is already heating up. Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is preparing for a potential third term, but she’s not without challengers—even from within her own party.
A New Challenger Enters the Field
State Sen. Tom Willis, a freshman legislator and vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is the latest Republican to signal interest in Capito’s seat. He recently filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to form a campaign committee, allowing him to begin fundraising and exploring a possible run.
This isn’t Willis’ first attempt at the U.S. Senate. He ran in the 2018 GOP primary, finishing fourth with just under 10% of the vote. Though he didn’t make it to the debate stage that year, his campaign gained brief attention when fellow candidate Don Blankenship wore a Tom Willis hat during a televised debate.
Willis made headlines again in 2022 when he unseated longtime Senate President Craig Blair in the Republican primary for state Senate District 15, which covers parts of Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire counties. That win helped him land a prominent committee role in his very first session—a rare feat for a new lawmaker.
Capito’s Strong Record and Trump Endorsement
Shelley Moore Capito has been a fixture in West Virginia politics since 2001, first serving in the U.S. House before defeating Natalie Tennant in 2014 to become the state’s first female U.S. Senator. She currently holds a powerful position as the fourth-ranked Republican in the Senate, chairing several key committees, including:
- Republican Policy Committee
- Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
Just last week, former President Donald Trump threw his full support behind Capito on social media, calling her a “tremendous” senator and offering his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Capito’s Past Election Performance
Capito has easily fended off Democratic opponents over the years and even handled a primary challenge from the right in 2020, when Allen Whitt, then-head of the West Virginia Family Policy Council, managed just 9.6% of the GOP primary vote. Capito sailed through with 83.3%.
In the 2020 general election, Capito won 547,454 votes, outpacing even Trump’s total in West Virginia by a slim margin.
More GOP Contenders Join the Race
If Willis is hoping to beat Capito from the right, he won’t be alone. Two other Republican hopefuls have also emerged:
- Derrick Evans, a former delegate, is known for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Though he pled guilty to a felony count of civil disorder, Trump later included Evans in his list of potential pardons. In the 2024 GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District, Evans lost to Rep. Carol Miller, pulling 37% of the vote.
- Alex Gaaserud, a Randolph County native who moved to Wood County, also plans to challenge Capito. He previously ran for the 2nd Congressional District, coming in last in a five-way primary with just 7% of the vote. The winner of that race was Riley Moore, Capito’s nephew and former state treasurer.
What’s Next?
With West Virginia’s official candidate filing period not opening until January 2026, there’s plenty of time for new contenders to enter the race. For now, Capito remains the heavy favorite—but challengers like Willis could shake things up in a primary that’s likely to test the GOP’s ideological boundaries.
As the race unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Capito can continue her stronghold or if a fresh conservative face can gain ground with voters looking for change.
