Shelley Moore Capito

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Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito CPAC 2013-2 cropped.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from West Virginia's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2001
Preceded by Bob Wise
Personal details
Born Shelley Wellons Moore
(1953-11-26) November 26, 1953 (age 59)
Glen Dale, West Virginia, U.S.
Political party Republican
Alma mater Duke University
University of Virginia

Shelley Moore Capito (born Shelley Wellons Moore; November 26, 1953) is the U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 2nd congressional district, serving since 2001. She is a member of the Republican Party. She was the only Republican in the West Virginia congressional delegation until the 2010 elections and is the first Republican woman elected to Congress from West Virginia.

The district stretches from the Ohio River in the west to the Eastern Panhandle, which borders with Virginia and Maryland.

On November 26, 2012, Capito announced that she plans to run for the U.S. Senate in the 2014 election.[1]

Contents

Early life, education and career [edit]

Capito was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia, the daughter of Shelley (née Riley) and Arch Alfred Moore, Jr., who served three terms as that state's Governor. A resident of Charleston, Capito was educated at Duke University and at the University of Virginia.[2] She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.[3]

West Virginia House of Delegates [edit]

Capito served two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

U.S. House of Representatives [edit]

Committee assignments [edit]

Caucus memberships [edit]

Capito is a former chairwoman of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues as well as a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus. After an explosion responsible for the death of 29 coal workers, Capito founded the Congressional Coal Caucus. She said that with the focus on the future of coal and the safety of mine workers, there was little left unquestioned.[4]

Political positions [edit]

Since being in Congress, Capito has voted with her party 93% of the time.[5] She had a lifetime rating of 70 from the American Conservative Union.[6] She is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which supports stem-cell research, Republicans for Choice, and the Wish List (Women In the Senate and House), a group of pro-choice Republican Party women. She is the only pro-choice member of West Virginia's House delegation.[citation needed]

Capito is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, she cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act,[7] and supported H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.[8]

Capito opposes legislation aimed at capping greenhouse gas emissions.[9] In January 2010 she reportedly asked the president if he would reconsider "job-killing" policies like limiting greenhouse gases.[10]

Political campaigns [edit]

2000 [edit]

Capito in 2001

When 2nd district Congressman Bob Wise ran for governor in 2000, Capito won the Republican nomination. She narrowly defeated millionaire asbestos lawyer Jim Humphreys. She was the first Republican to represent West Virginia in Congress since 1983, as well as the first woman elected to Congress from West Virginia in her own right. She was re-elected in 2002 against Humphreys, in 2004 against former newscaster Erik Wells, in 2006 against candidate Mike Callaghan, and in 2008 against former Robert Byrd state director Anne Barth, all by large margins, becoming the first West Virginia Republican to win reelection to Congress since her father, who represented the 1st district in the state's northern region from 1957 to 1969.

2006 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2006#District 2

Capito was mentioned as a possible challenger to Senator Robert Byrd in 2006, but opted to run for reelection to her House seat.

2008 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2008#District 2

Capito won against Democratic nominee Anne Barth, a longtime former aide to U.S. Senator Robert Byrd.

2010 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2010#District 2

Capito defeated her challenger, Democratic nominee Lynch Graf,[11] winning all 18 counties of the district for the first time in her career.

During the 2010 election cycle, she was mentioned as a Republican candidate to challenge Joe Manchin for the vacated United State Senate seat of the late Robert C. Byrd. Capito ultimately decided against a senate bid, pointing out that, even though the West Virginia Legislature passed a law allowing her to run for both her House seat and the U.S. Senate, "running for two offices simultaneously is not who I am as a person. More importantly, this is not about me, but what is right for the people of West Virginia."[12]

2012 [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2012#District 2

Capito won a rare Republican primary challenge to be selected as the Republican representative for her district. She is up for her seventh term. Capito says she plans on fighting to "dismantle the federal health care overhaul and challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."[13]

She faced Democrat Howard Swint in the general election. Swint, who billed himself as "a common man running a common campaign to represent the common people," committed to only taking donations from individuals.[14]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Catanese, David (November 25, 2012). "Shelley Moore Capito makes Senate bid vs. Jay Rockefeller official". Politico. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  2. ^ "Transcript of interview with Rep. Shelley Moore Capito". Q & A. October 30, 2005. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  3. ^ Huston, Andy. "23% of House & 41% of Senate is Greek". North-American Interfraternity Conference. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  4. ^ "She is also a founding member of the Congressional Coal Caucus". Charleston Daily Mail. 13 April 2010. 
  5. ^ "Shelley Moore Capito (R)". U.S. Congress Votes Database (The Washington Post). 
  6. ^ Kamen, Al (24 July 2012). "Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)". Who Runs Gov? (The Washington Post). 
  7. ^ "HR 4777: Internet Gambling Prohibition Act". Thomas (Library of Congress). 2006. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  8. ^ "HR 4411: Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act". Thomas (Library of Congress). Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  9. ^ "POLITICO: Note to EPA: 'Coal' isn't a dirty word". Press Release. US House of Representatives. Retrieved 27 July 2012. 
  10. ^ Kamen, Al (24 July 2012). "Political Profile for Shelley Moore Capito". On the Issues (Washington Post). Retrieved 27 July 2012. 
  11. ^ "Capito wins big, Rahall bests former justice". Parkersburg News and Sentinel. November 2, 2010. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  12. ^ Rivard, Ry (July 21, 2010). "Capito will not run against Manchin for Byrd's seat". Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved 2013-04-14. 
  13. ^ "WVa US Rep Shelley Moore Capito overcomes rare GOP primary challenge in bid for 7th term". Associated Press. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012. 
  14. ^ BELISLE, RICHARD (11 June 2012). "Congressional candidate Swint campaigns in the Panhandle". Herald-Mail. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shelley Moore Capito
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bob Wise		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district
2001–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Luis Gutiérrez		 Chairperson of the House Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee
2011–present
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Eric Cantor
R-Virginia		 United States Representatives by seniority
125th		 Succeeded by
William Clay
D-Missouri
Senators
Representatives
(ordered by district)
Other states'
delegations
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