2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia
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   Capito:40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90%>90% Swearengin:40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% Tie:40–50%50% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The2020 United States Senate election in West Virginiawas held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of theUnited States Senateto represent theState of West Virginia,concurrently with the2020 U.S. presidential election,as well asother electionsto the United States Senate in other states,electionsto theUnited States House of Representatives,and variousstate and local elections.
Incumbent senatorShelley Moore Capitowon a second term againstDemocratPaula Jean Swearenginby a margin of 43.3%, winning every county, and becoming the first West Virginia Republican to win reelection to the U.S. Senate since 1907.
Swearengin's 27% of the vote was the lowest vote percentage and worst margin of defeat for any Democratic Senate candidate in West Virginia history.
Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
Nominee[edit]
- Shelley Moore Capito,incumbent U.S. Senator
Eliminated in primary[edit]
Endorsements[edit]
Shelley Moore Capito
- Organizations
Results[edit]
Moore Capito
- Capito—80–90%
- Capito—70–80%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito(incumbent) | 173,847 | 83.32% | |
| Republican | Allen Whitt | 20,075 | 9.62% | |
| Republican | Larry Butcher | 14,717 | 7.05% | |
| Total votes | 208,639 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary[edit]
Paula Jean Swearenginwon the nomination with 38.8% of the vote in the state's Democratic primary on June 9, 2020.[5]
Candidates[edit]
Nominee[edit]
- Paula Jean Swearengin,environmental activist and candidate for the U.S. Senate in2018[6][7][5]
Eliminated in primary[edit]
- Richard Ojeda,former state senator, nominee forWest Virginia's 3rd congressional districtin2018,and former candidate for president of the United States in2020[8][9]
- Richie Robb, former mayor ofSouth Charleston[10]
Declined[edit]
- Mike Pushkin,state delegate[11]
- Earl Ray Tomblin,formergovernor of West Virginia[11]
Endorsements[edit]
Paula Jean Swearengin
- Organizations
- Brand New Congress[12]
- Sierra Club[13]
- Students for Gun Legislation
Results[edit]
Swearengin
- Swearengin—30-40%
- Swearengin—40-50%
- Swearengin—50-60%
Ojeda
- Ojeda—40–50%
- Ojeda—30–40%
- Ojeda—20–30%
Robb
- Robb—30-40%
- Robb—40-50%
- Robb—50-60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paula Jean Swearengin | 72,292 | 38.39% | |
| Democratic | Richard Ojeda | 61,954 | 32.90% | |
| Democratic | Richie Robb | 54,048 | 28.70% | |
| Total votes | 188,294 | 100.00% | ||
Other candidates[edit]
Libertarian Party[edit]
Nominee[edit]
- David Moran[15]
Independents[edit]
Withdrawn[edit]
General election[edit]
Predictions[edit]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[17] | Safe R | October 29, 2020 |
| Inside Elections[18] | Safe R | October 28, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[19] | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| Daily Kos[20] | Safe R | October 30, 2020 |
| Politico[21] | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| RCP[22] | Safe R | October 23, 2020 |
| DDHQ[23] | Safe R | November 3, 2020 |
| 538[24] | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| Economist[25] | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
Endorsements[edit]
Shelley Moore Capito (R)
Paula Jean Swearengin (D)
- U.S. senators
- Ed Markey,U.S. senator from Massachusetts[30]
- Bernie Sanders,U.S. senator from Vermont (Independent) and2020 presidential candidate[31]
- U.S. representatives
- Grace Meng,U.S. representative fromNY-06[32]
- State legislators
- Charles Booker,Kentucky state representative from District 43[33]
- Richard Ojeda,West Virginia State Senator for the 7th district (2016–2019); 2020 presidential and U.S. Senate candidate[34]
- Charlotte Pritt,West Virginia State Senator for the 17th district (1988-1992); candidate for governor in1992,1996,and2016[35]
- Nina Turner,Ohio Senatorfrom District 25 (2008–2014), President ofOur Revolution[36]
- Notable Individuals
- Cori Bush,Democratic nominee forMO-1[37]
- Marianne Williamson,author, activist, and2020 presidential candidate[38]
- Andrew Yang,author, entrepreneur, and2020 presidential candidate[39]
- Unions
- Organizations
- 350 Action[41]
- Brand New Congress[42]
- Center for Biological DiversityAction Fund[43]
- Friends of the EarthAction Fund[44]
- Progressive Democrats of America[45]
- Sierra Club[46]
- Sunrise Movement[47]
- Working Families Party[48]
- Publications
Polling[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Shelley Moore Capito (R) |
Paula Jean Swearengin (D) |
David Moran (L) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research America Inc. | October 6–9, 2020 | 450 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 53% | 33% | 5% | 9% |
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Shelley Moore Capito (R) |
Generic Democrat |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[A] | June 13–14, 2017 | 762 (V) | ± 3.4% | 48% | 35% | 17% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito(incumbent) | 547,454 | 70.28% | +8.16% | |
| Democratic | Paula Jean Swearengin | 210,309 | 27.00% | -7.47% | |
| Libertarian | David Moran | 21,155 | 2.72% | +1.09% | |
| Total votes | 778,918 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
By county
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Capito won all 55 of the state's counties for the second election in a row, earning more than 70% of the vote over Swearengin in all but eight counties.
Notes[edit]
- Partisan clients
- ^Poll sponsored by Save My Care
- Voter samples and additional candidates
References[edit]
- ^Thomas, Alex (January 29, 2020)."Governor, US Senate seats up in this year's election".
- ^Barker, Tyler (October 8, 2019)."Conservative Challenging Shelley Moore Capito For Senate".WOAY TV - ABC.Archived fromthe originalon October 9, 2019.RetrievedOctober 9,2019.
- ^ab"2020 Candidates".maggieslist.org.
- ^"U.S. SENATOR - REP".Secretary of State of West Virginia.RetrievedJune 9,2020.
- ^ab"West Virginia U.S. Senate Primary Election Results".The New York Times.June 9, 2020.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
- ^"What Are The Knock Down The House Candidates Doing In 2019?".Bustle.RetrievedJune 4,2019.
- ^Staff, WSAZ News (June 10, 2020)."U.S. Senate Candidate Paula Jean Swearengin wins W.Va. Democratic primary".www.wsaz.com.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
- ^Ojeda, Richard (January 13, 2020)."To the People of West Virginia".
- ^Pathe, Simone (January 13, 2020)."West Virginia's Richard Ojeda is back, this time running for Senate".Roll Call.RetrievedJanuary 13,2020.
- ^Adams, Steven Allen (January 27, 2020)."Warner: Filings go smoothly on final day".The Inter-Mountain.RetrievedJanuary 27,2020.
- ^abSingiser, Steve."Here's our ultimate Democratic wishlist for Senate in 2020. Who's on yours?".Daily Kos.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.
- ^"Paula Jean Swearengin".Brand New Congress.May 28, 2020. Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2019.RetrievedOctober 23,2019.
- ^"Sierra Club #ClimateVoter Guide: Endorsements".Sierra Club.
- ^"U.S. SENATOR - DEM".Secretary of State of West Virginia.RetrievedJune 9,2020.
- ^ab"WV SOS - Elections - Candidate - Online Data Services".services.sos.wv.gov.Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2020.RetrievedAugust 17,2020.
- ^Zuckerman, Jake (August 7, 2019)."Swearengin announces US Senate run as Democrat".WV Gazette Mail.RetrievedMay 15,2020.
- ^"2020 Senate Race Ratings for October 29, 2020".The Cook Political Report.RetrievedMarch 11,2021.
- ^"2020 Senate Ratings".Senate Ratings.The Rothenberg Political Report.RetrievedMarch 11,2021.
- ^"2020 Senate race ratings".Sabato's Crystal Ball.RetrievedMarch 12,2021.
- ^"2020 Senate Race Ratings".Daily Kos Elections.RetrievedMarch 13,2021.
- ^"2020 Election Forecast".Politico.November 19, 2019.
- ^"Battle for the Senate 2020".RCP.October 23, 2020.
- ^"2020 Senate Elections Model".Decision Desk HQ.September 2, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 2,2020.
- ^Silver, Nate (September 18, 2020)."Forecasting the race for the Senate".FiveThirtyEight.RetrievedSeptember 18,2020.
- ^"Forecasting the US elections".The Economist.November 2, 2020.RetrievedMarch 13,2021.
- ^Thomas, Alex (September 7, 2020)."Annual UMWA picnic goes virtual, but remains opportunity for candidates".
- ^Thomas, Alex (September 10, 2020)."US Chamber of Commerce endorses Capito as senator seeks second term".
- ^"Gazette-Mail endorses Capito for US Senate".October 6, 2020.
- ^"Editorial: Capito is best choice for U.S. Senate".The Herald-Dispatch.October 6, 2020.
- ^@paulajean2020 (October 10, 2020)."Tonight at 7pm EST, join me and US Senator @EdMarkey at the #UniteOurFight rally. I'm so excited to stand beside Senator Markey in DC to fight for the everyday folks all across our nation. Let's end political dynasties and take our power back! Heart decoration http://pjwv.cc/rally"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
- ^"Swearengin receives Sanders endorsement".July 9, 2020.
- ^Grace Meng [@Grace4NY] (September 10, 2020)."Grace Meng: I'm with @paulajean2020! Join us!"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Charles Booker [@Booker4KY] (September 30, 2020)."Charles Booker:@paulajean2020 is a coal miner's daughter running for a Green New Deal in West Virginia so we can get a just transition for workers who've been left behind by industry and our politicians. She is a champion for the people, and we need her in the Senate!"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Richard Ojeda [@Ojeda4America] (June 30, 2020)."Richard Ojeda: I'm giving my full support to Paula Jean Swearingin"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Charlotte Pritt [@betterbalance2] (August 25, 2020)."Charlotte Pritt: Yes! This coal miner's daughter is with you all the way"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Paula Jean Swearengin [@paulajean2020] (August 26, 2020)."Paula Jean Swearengin:Thank you for your endorsement @ninaturner! I'm honored to have your support"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Cori Bush [@CoriBush] (August 21, 2020)."Cori Bush:Paula Jean Swearengin is my sister from Knock Down the House, and while we came up short in 2018, in 2020 we are both demonstrating that this is our moment to make history"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Marianne Williamson [@marwilliamson] (July 14, 2020)."Marianne Williamson:Let's help elect @paulajean2020 to the Senate in West Virginia"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Paula Jean Swearengin [@paulajean2020] (August 28, 2020)."Swearengin:Thank you @AndrewYang for your endorsement!"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^Paula Jean Swearengin [@paulajean2020] (September 1, 2020)."Swearengin:Thank you so much, @RWDSU Local 21! I'm honored to stand beside you all and will always vote to protect your rights"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2020 – viaTwitter.
- ^"Endorsements".350 Action.
- ^Brand New Congress."Mother and Community Activist Paula Jean Swearengin for U.S. Senate, West Virginia".Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2019.RetrievedOctober 23,2019.
- ^"2020 Endorsements".
- ^"Candidate Endorsements • Friends of the Earth Action".Friends of the Earth Action.August 25, 2017.
- ^"2020 Endorsements".PDAmerica.Archived fromthe originalon May 20, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 24,2020.
- ^"Sierra Club Voter Guide: Endorsements".Sierra Club #ClimateVoter Guide.July 16, 2012.
- ^Golshan, Tara (September 10, 2020)."Sunrise Movement Unveils 2020 Endorsements To Defeat Climate Change Deniers".HuffPost.RetrievedSeptember 10,2020.
- ^"WV Working Families Endorses Paula Jean Swearengin".Paula Jean Swearengin.July 27, 2020.
- ^"Swearengin for Senate".September 14, 2020.
- ^"November 3, 2020 General Election - Official Results".West Virginia State - Clarity Elections.RetrievedNovember 30,2020.
External links[edit]
- Government Documents Round Tableof the American Library Association,"West Virginia",Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "West Virginia: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links",Vote.org,Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of West Virginia".(state affiliate of the U.S.League of Women Voters)
- West VirginiaatBallotpedia
- Official campaign websites