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2026 midterms · Candidate

Republican · Candidate · U.S. Senate, West Virginia · Incumbent

Portrait of Shelley Capito, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
27%
of statements claim credit

In the top quarter of Republican Senate incumbents (their average is 20%; Capito ranks 5th of 24, where 1st is the highest rate), from 20,352 statements.

An AI model reads everything Capito publishes in office (posts, press releases, newsletters, floor speeches) and marks whether each claims credit for an accomplishment; the rate is the share marked.

What Capito says

27% of Capito’s statements claim credit, in the top quarter of Republican Senate incumbents. Their average is 20%.

An AI model reads everything Capito publishes in office and marks five kinds of statement; the rate is the share of statements with each label. The thin grey bar is the average of the 24 Republican Senate incumbents with 50 or more statements, and the rank places Capito among them (1st is the highest rate). A rate describes what was said, not whether it was right.

How often does Capito make each kind of statement?

Share of statements: Capito (thick bar) against the Republican Senate incumbents average (thin grey bar)

0%70%
Capito
Average
Rank
Personal attacks
0.4%
1.9%
19th of 24
Policy criticism
18%
20%
15th of 24
Policy discussion
67%
66%
10th of 24
Bipartisanship
9.4%
7.5%
6th of 24
Credit claiming
27%
20%
5th of 24
Show the data
Capito’s share of statements of each kind, against the Republican Senate incumbents average: Personal attacks 0.4%, Policy criticism 18%, Policy discussion 67%, Bipartisanship 9.4%, Credit claiming 27%.
RowCapitoAverage
Personal attacks0.4%1.9%
Policy criticism18%20%
Policy discussion67%66%
Bipartisanship9.4%7.5%
Credit claiming27%20%
20,352

statements classified

From everything they publish in office: posts, press releases, newsletters and floor speeches.

This compares Capito with other candidates. Capito’s official profile compares Capito with fellow office-holders and has every statement, vote and bill.

The five kinds of statement

Personal attacks. Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.

Policy criticism. Objects to a specific policy, law or court ruling with fact-based arguments, without personal attacks or emotional appeals.

Policy discussion. Discusses a specific public policy or policy area (health care, taxes, defense, …).

Bipartisanship. Emphasises working across the aisle, compromise or common ground between the parties.

Credit claiming. Claims credit for passing legislation, securing funding or grants, or other accomplishments in office.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Capito reports $5.4M raised and $3.1M cash on hand. By money raised, 1st of the two candidates on this race’s list with FEC figures.

Totals the campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 cycle, as filed.

Raised

$5.4M

Spent

$4.7M

Cash on hand

$3.1M

Where has Capito’s money come from?

Receipts by source, as reported to the FEC

Individuals: $2.9M (57.8%)Individuals $2.9MPACs: $2.0M (41.0%)PACs $2.0MParty committees: $62.1K (1.2%)
Show the data
Capito’s receipts by source: Individuals $2.9M, PACs $2.0M, Party committees $62.1K, Own money $0, Candidate loans $0.
PartValue
Individuals$2.9M
PACs$2.0M
Party committees$62.1K
Own money$0
Candidate loans$0
Notes
Sources are the FEC’s categories; what is left (transfers, refunds, other receipts) is not drawn. The race page compares every candidate in the race.

Back to topNext: Online

Online

Engagement is what X reports for each collected post, averaged; it measures reach, not support.

No engagement figures are on file for this account.

Back to topNext: The race

The race

West Virginia Senate: Capito advanced from the primary. Primary May 12, 2026. General election Nov 3, 2026.

This race is not among the races the lab lists as rated toss-up or leaning.

Who else is on the list?

Candidates recorded as advancing from the primary

The race page compares every candidate’s statements and money · every race in West Virginia

Back to topNext: Methods and sources

Methods and sources

The headline. Each candidate’s headline is chosen by one rule for everyone. The peer group is the ranked candidates (50 or more statements) of the same party, for the same office and measured on the same record, widened to both parties when it has fewer than 10. Each kind of statement is scored by how far the candidate sits from the middle of the group (|percentile − 0.5|, ties counting half); the farthest leads if it is outside the middle half (above 0.25), scores within 0.03 tie and fall to a fixed order, and a high rate backed by fewer than 10 labelled statements cannot lead. Otherwise the headline is a plain count.

The statements. As an incumbent member of Congress, this candidate is measured on everything the lab collects from them in office: posts on X, press releases, newsletters and floor speeches. An AI model marks each statement for five kinds of statement; rates are shown from 10 statements and ranked from 50.

The race. Candidates come from FEC filings (House and Senate), the lab’s list of sitting members of Congress, and the lab’s list of candidates for governor. The lab records each primary’s result once it is official. House districts follow FEC filings; a sitting member is placed in the race for the seat they hold now.

Identifiers. FEC candidate id S4WV00159 (FEC record). Bioguide id C001047. First FEC filing Dec 6, 2012.

Money and reach. Campaign money is as reported to the FEC. Followers, likes and views are what X reports for the posts the lab collected.

About the data →

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