Photo by Steven Allen Adams U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (left) and ONDCP Director Sara Carter (right) talked with the media following a closed-door roundtable discussion in Charleston Friday about the substance use disorder crisis.

CHARLESTON – In a closed Republican primary, GOP voters gave U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore their seal of approval Tuesday night to seek a third six-year term, while voters in the Democratic primary endorsed the campaign of Morgantown community organizer Rachel Fetty Anderson over former state senate president Jeff Kessler.

According to both unofficial election results reported to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office with 49 out of 55 counties reporting in as of press time, Capito won the Republican nomination for re-election to the U.S. Senate in a six-person race with 78,7272 votes, or 66.5% of the vote.

“Tonight, West Virginia Republicans sent a clear message that we are ready to continue delivering wins with America First policies through my strong leadership in the U.S. Senate,” Capito said in a statement Tuesday night. “My focus remains steadfast – we need to continue bolstering our economy to create good-paying jobs that support our businesses and workforce, strengthen our infrastructure, invest in West Virginia energy and our natural resources, and keep our communities safe.”

Capito has been in Congress for 25 years after first taking a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2001 and becoming the first elected Republican woman U.S. senator in 2014 when she succeeded the retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller.

She was re-elected in 2020 and has since become a member of the Senate’s Republican majority leadership, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and a Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee chair.

“Thank you to the West Virginians who made our victory tonight possible through your vote, your time, your efforts, and to President Trump for his confidence in me and endorsement,” Capito said. “I’m honored by the trust the people of our state have placed in me and remain energized and ready to continue our positive message that represents our people and West Virginia values into the general election this November.”

State Sen. Tom Willis, making his second run for U.S. Senate, had 22,459 votes, or 19% of the vote Tuesday night. Willis, an attorney and West Virginia National Guard officer, is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Willis came in fourth in a six-person Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2018.

“Tonight’s result was not what we hoped for, but I am deeply grateful to every supporter, volunteer, friend, and family member who stood with us throughout this campaign,” Willis said by text message.

“We took our message across West Virginia and proved that hard work, faith, and grassroots conservatives still matter,” Willis continued. “I congratulate our Republican nominee, Shelley Moore Capito on her victory tonight. She ran a great race. Now is the time for all of us Republicans to come together and support our nominee for the future of our state and our country. Thank you for believing in this campaign and in the vision we fought for together.”

Other Republican U.S. Senate candidates include Bryan McKinney of Inwood with 5,477 votes (4.6%), David Purkey of Fairmont with 4,884 votes (4.1%), Parkersburg businessman Alexander Gaaserud with 4,349 votes (3.7%),and Janet McNulty of Martinsburg with 2,560 votes (2.2%).

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Anderson won the nomination with 30,399 votes (33.1%), with Kessler coming in second with 24,773 votes (27%). Anderson is an attorney and former Morgantown City Council member.

“I am so grateful because this was a team effort,” Anderson told supporters in Morgantown Tuesday night in a speech that was livestreamed. “We won the right to work harder. We earned the opportunity to keep working for West Virginia’s children and families. We earned the opportunity to stand up on behalf of our communities, for our water, our land, our schools, fair wages, and the infrastructure we need to bring jobs and workers back to our state.”

Kessler is an attorney who served many years in the state Senate representing the 2nd Senatorial District. He later served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and rose to the position of senate president in 2011. He retired from the state Senate in 2016 after an unsuccessful run for governor in the Democratic primary that year.

“While tonight was not the outcome we hoped for, I want to thank the thousands of West Virginians who supported our campaign, opened their homes, volunteered their time, made contributions, and believed in the vision we offered for the future of our state and country,” Kessler said in a statement. “I congratulate Rachel Fetty Anderson on their victory and wish them the best moving forward into the general election.”

Other Democratic challengers include Mercer County community organizer Zachary Shrewsbury with 14,855 votes (16.2%), South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper with 11,692 votes (12.7%), and Rio Phillips of Charleston with 10,107 votes (11%).

In the 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., had no Republican challengers this year. In the Democratic primary, Morgantown community organizer and Iranian immigrant Ace Parsi secured the nomination with 17,395 votes, or 39.9% of the vote. A request for comment from Parsi was not returned. Stephanie Spears Tomana of Idamay had 16.513 votes (37.9%), and retired U.S. Navy officer Steven Wendelin had 9,714 votes (22.3%).

In the 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Carol Miller secured the GOP nomination to seek a fifth term with 40,321 votes (72%) Larry Jackson of Hanover had 15,646 votes (28%). Vince George of South Charleston secured the Democratic primary with 23,382 votes (53%), with Logan County community organizer Britta “Brit” Aguirre coming in second with 20,766 votes (47%).