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U.S. Sen. Capito calls for unity among West Virginia Republicans following contentious primary

In a briefing with reporters Thursday, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she was hopeful that Republicans can come together after a contentious GOP primary period that saw millions of dollars spent on negative campaign materials. (Screengrab)

CHARLESTON – U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who easily secured the confidence of registered Republicans in West Virginia to seek a third six-year term, called for unity among West Virginia Republicans heading into the November general elections.

During a press call with West Virginia reporters Thursday morning, Capito discussed the recent primary election, advocating for party unity following a period of negative campaigning and internal friction up and down the ballot.

“The way I look at it is the primary’s over, and I have been vocal disapproving of the negativity of attacking other Republicans. That’s not the direction that I was taught to go or the direction I would go,” said Capito, R-W.Va., when asked about the primary by West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

According to unofficial election results compiled by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office from all 55 counties, 120,357 votes were cast by registered Republicans in the U.S. Senate GOP primary, with Capito receiving 80,032 votes and carrying 66.5% of the vote in a six-person race.

State Sen. Tom Willis, R-Berkeley, came in second with 22,736 votes (18.9%). The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman released a statement Tuesday night conceding and expressing his support for Capito.

“I congratulate our Republican nominee, Shelley Moore Capito on her victory tonight. She ran a great race,” Willis said. “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.”

Other Republican U.S. Senate candidates included Bryan McKinney with 5,556 votes (4.6%), David Purkey with 5,014 votes (4.2%), Alexander Gaaserud with 4,438 votes (3.7%), and Janet McNulty with 2,581 votes (2.1%).

“I know I’m moving forward with my campaign after my primary,” Capito said. “I’ve been endorsed by my primary opponents, and so I’m hopeful that we’ll be successful in November.”

Capito will face former Morgantown City Council member and community organizer Rachel Fetty Anderson, who won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary Tuesday night with 30,792 votes, carrying 33.2% of the vote in a five-person contest. Former Democratic senate president Jeff Kessler came in second with 25,085 votes (27%), followed by Zachary Shrewsbury with 14,995 votes (16.2%), Thornton Cooper with 11,765 votes (12.7%), and Rio Phillips with 10,184 votes (11%).

Capito was also involved in Republican legislative races after Gov. Patrick Morrisey began recruiting and endorsing a slate of GOP candidates, and Morrisey-affiliated groups began pumping more than $2.4 million into supporting and opposing several incumbent GOP lawmakers in the House of Delegates and state Senate with negative ads and mailers.

Sugar Maple PAC, School Freedom Fund, and Americans for Prosperity was able to claim victory Tuesday night with the losses of Wood County delegates Vernon Criss and Scot Heckert, as well as Del. Jeffrey Stephens, R-Marshall.

Capito’s U.S. Senate campaign donated $250,000 to Mountaineer Freedom Alliance, a political action committee funded by West Virginia-based groups, such as the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and individuals.

Mountaineer Freedom Alliance and the state Chamber spent more than $1.1 million to support several statehouse candidates and incumbents targeted by Morrisey-affiliated groups, such as state senators Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, and Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier.

Following Tuesday nights primary contests, Morrisey took a victory lap, claiming credit for a number of successful races while also saying the party will unify in time for November.

“The candidates who prevailed campaigned to unleash economic opportunity, cut taxes, and advance educational freedom,” Morrisey said on social media Tuesday night. “Voters rejected the good-ole-boy system in favor of voices that fight for our values. Republicans will unite, prevail in November, and advance our conservative agenda. We will be that shining state in the mountains, but only if we’re willing to fight for it. Time to get to work.”

Capito said she was hopeful that Republicans will get over Tuesday’s primary fights, but she said it remains to be seen whether wounds will heal.

“I think infighting within the party is destructive in and of itself. But now that the primary is over, I hope that we can all join together and support our parties,” Capito said. “I think that’s what you’re seeing now. But I think when you get into personal attack ads and start calling people names, it’s harder to heal. And so, I think time will tell.”

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