×

Capito maintains large fundraising lead for GOP U.S. Senate primary

(Graphic by Steven Allen Adams)

CHARLESTON — With less than six months until the candidate filing period, West Virginia’s senior U.S. Senator, Shelley Moore Capito, is sitting on more than $3 million as she prepares to seek a third six-year term.

But state Senate Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman Tom Willis made a six-figure gamble that he can defeat her.

Federal candidates filed their July quarterly campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission by July 15, covering donations and expenditures between April, May and June.

The Republican and Democratic primaries in West Virginia take place on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The candidate filing period is from Jan. 12-31.

Capito, R-W.Va., raised $706,394 during the quarter, bringing her election cycle-to-date haul to more than $2.9 million and leaving her with more than $3.4 million in cash on hand as she prepares for a contested primary.

During the quarter, Capito received $123,733 in transfers from other political action committees. For the election cycle-to-date, she received $237,735 from other committees such as One Team Senate Majority, a joint fundraising committee aimed at protecting certain Senate seats. Capito is also supported by other joint fundraising committees, such as GOP Winning Women 2026 and 2025 Senators Classic Committee.

Capito was first elected in 2014 to the Senate seat vacated by retiring Democrat Jay Rockefeller. She has served in Congress since 2001, first as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Capito became the state’s senior senator following the retirement in 2024 of Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin. She is the fourth ranking member in the Senate Republican majority, the 18th chairperson of the Republican Policy Committee and the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Two Republicans have filed paperwork with the FEC to raise money for potential challenges to Capito, including Willis, who won election in 2024 for a four-year term state Senate term for District 15, representing parts of Berkeley, Morgan and Hampshire counties.

Willis filed his statement organization on May 21 for Tom Willis Victory, the name of his U.S. Senate fundraising committee, giving him just 40 days to begin fundraising before the quarter ended. While raising no money during the reporting period, Willis loaned his campaign $100,000.

During the 2024 GOP primary, Willis defeated former Senate President Craig Blair, a long-time member of the House of Delegates who was elected to the state Senate in 2012. Current Senate President Randy Smith, R-Preston, appointed Willis – a freshman – as the new vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee beginning with the 2025 legislative session.

Willis – an attorney, businessman and West Virginia National Guard officer – was one of six Republicans in the 2018 primary for U.S. Senate, when Manchin was seeking his second six-year term as a Democrat.

Willis came in fourth in that primary with just under 10% of the vote. Then-Attorney General (now Gov.) Patrick Morrisey won that primary with nearly 35% of the vote. Former congressman, state senator, and state Supreme Court justice Evan Jenkins came in second with 29%, and former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship carried nearly 20%.

The only other GOP challenger to Capito so far is Alex Gaaserud, a Randolph County native who moved to Wood County last year. Gaaserud’s FEC July quarterly report showed no donations, expenditures or cash on hand.

Gaaserud attempted a run for the 2nd Congressional District to succeed Alex Mooney, who lost the 2024 GOP U.S. Senate primary to former governor and now-Sen. Jim Justice. Gaaserud finished last in the five-person Republican primary, carrying 7% of the vote. The winner of that race was former state treasurer Riley Moore, the nephew of Capito, with 45% of the vote.

According to his FEC Jan. 31 year-end report, Gaaserud had nearly $21 in cash on hand following his U.S. House primary campaign. That was after paying off $9,850 in debts and obligations, according to his FEC 30-day post-election campaign finance report. Of that debt, $6,850 was loans to his campaign, and $3,000 was money owed to a campaign strategy consulting company. Gaaserud only raised $5,400 during that election cycle.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today