Shelley Moore Capito was elected by the people of West Virginia to the United States Senate in 2014. She is the first female U.S. Senator in West Virginia’s history and was elected with the largest margin of victory for a Republican in state history – winning more than 62 percent of the vote and all 55 counties.

After serving West Virginia’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years, and as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates for four years prior, Shelley decided to run for Senate with the goal of being an even stronger voice for the Mountain State. She also saw an opportunity to restore order to a Senate stuck in gridlock for far too long.

Shelley believes that the challenges of our day demand bipartisan solutions and cooperation across the aisle to advance legislation that benefits West Virginia and the country as a whole.

Shelley serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Rules and Administration Committee, and the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. This committee portfolio puts Shelley in a strong position to create new opportunities in the Mountain State and fight for West Virginia coal, jobs, and families.

On the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shelley brings West Virginia’s voice to the table when our nation’s spending priorities are determined. She serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

On the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Shelley advocates for policies that protect vital West Virginia energy and manufacturing jobs and encourage investment in West Virginia’s highway infrastructure. She serves as Chairman of the EPW Committee’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee.

On the Senate Commerce Committee, Shelley promotes rural broadband expansion to better serve states like West Virginia.

Shelley is committed to being accessible and responsive to the people of the Mountain State. She regularly travels the state to hear from and meet with West Virginians.

A lifelong West Virginian, Shelley was born in Glen Dale in the Northern Panhandle. She holds a B.S. in Zoology from Duke University and a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia. Shelley and her husband Charles L. Capito Jr. reside in Charleston. They have three adult children: two sons, Charles (wife Laura) and Moore (wife Katie), and one daughter, Shelley (husband Colin Macleod). They have also been blessed with four grandchildren: Celia, Charlie, Eliza and Rose.