×

Capito Veterans Coalition kicks off campaign to reelect Capito to Senate

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito at the Capito Veterans Coalition kickoff, surrounded by former Adjutant Generals James Hoyer, left, and Bill Crane, right, and other veterans behind them. (David Beard/For the Dominion Post)

MORGANTOWN – U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito brought her reelection campaign to Morgantown Monday morning.

She was joined by former West Virginia National Guard Adjutant Generals James Hoyer and Bill Crane, and other veterans, who announced the formation of the Sen. Capito Veterans Coalition.

They gathered in a meeting area in the WVU Innovation Corp. building. Hoyer said the group is growing every day and explained why.

“She has been – over the years of all our experience – going back to when she was a member of the House of Delegates, she’s been a steadfast champion of service members, veterans, but also, more importantly to us, the families of our service members and veterans,” he said.

Crane echoed that.

“She has done so much for me, for our family, and for the whole family of veterans in West Virginia.”

Crane said he got to know her heart while working with her in his time as adjutant general.

“She really cares about West Virginians, and that’s why we’ve got to keep her up there fighting for us every day.”

Capito expressed her thanks to the veterans standing with her and said veterans make up 7% of the population of West Virginia. Service is a calling that involves the whole family, she said.

She mentioned some of her work supporting veterans, noting the mental health issues among vets coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. She advocated for recruiting counselors into the VA health system and, through the No Pain Act, endeavored to help meet their pain needs without addictive opioids.

She also pushed to expand GI Bill availability to the veterans’ families and for housing and pay raises, she said. She wants to continue the work going forward – supplying them with the best technologies and keeping them safe.

Capito fielded a political question about the Department of Human Services funding bill returning to the House. Democrats have challenged funding for ICE and the Border Patrol as a result of the protests – some peaceful, some turning violent and resulting in two deaths – in Minnesota.

The Senate passed other funding measures but broke that one from the package in the form of a two-week continuing resolution to allow time for negotiations.

Capito said talks are ongoing between Democrats and the White House.

“Hopefully, they’ll get to a negotiated deal.”

She said the measure the Democrats rejected included some things they want, such as body cameras and deescalation training. She also pointed out that the measure doesn’t fund just ICE and the Border Patrol; it includes the Coast Guard, Secret Service and FEMA.

According to the secretary of state’s office, Capito faces four other Republicans in the May primary: Alex Gaaserud, of Parkersburg, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024; Janet McNulty, of Martinsburg; David Purkey, of Fairmont; and state Sen. Tom Willis, of Martinsburg.

The Democratic primary includes Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper, who ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2024; former Morgantown City Council member Rachel Fetty Anderson; former state Senate President Jeff Kessler, of Glen Dale; Rio Phillips, of Charleston; and Zach Shrewsbury, of Princeton, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2024.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today