Public interest attorney Rachel Fetty Anderson is the Democrats’ pick to challenge incumbent Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) in the November U.S. Senate election.

Capito, who has represented the state in the Senate since 2015, is heavily favored to win in November, as West Virginia is the second-most Republican state in the country behind Wyoming. Capito currently serves in Senate Republican leadership.

She handily defeated five Republican challengers to again win the nomination. The Associated Press declared Capito the winner just 27 minutes after polls closed, at 7:57 p.m. ET. She led with 65 percent of the vote to the closest rival’s 19 percent.

On the Democratic side, Anderson defeated former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kessler, who had been widely projected as the frontrunner among four candidates.

Anderson was declared victorious by AP at 10:18 p.m.. At the time, she led with 33.1 percent, 6.1 points ahead of Kessler.

In her law practice, Anderson has worked on cases involving issues such as child advocacy, foster care, domestic violence, and disability rights.

Her upset victory came over Kessler, who served as president of the West Virginia Senate; the individual selected for this role by the state Senate also serves as lieutenant governor.

Anderson also defeated Zachary Shrewsbury, a community organizer and military veteran who had portrayed himself as the most progressive candidate in the race.

Capito, meanwhile, had the advantage of President Donald Trump’s endorsement in a state that voted for him by a margin of roughly 40 percent in 2024.

“Senator Shelley Moore Capito is doing a tremendous job representing the Wonderful People of West Virginia, a State I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024!” Trump wrote in a May 16, 2025 post on Truth Social.

“Shelley is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump added. “Senator Shelley Moore Capito has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election—SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Her leading rival for the Republican nomination—a nomination that all but guarantees a victory in the general election—was state Sen. Tom Willis.

Willis won the endorsement of gun rights and other conservative groups, positioning himself as a “true conservative” compared with Capito, whom he portrayed as being more aligned with the Washington establishment.

Willis won 19 percent of the vote, coming in a distant second to Capito.