2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia facts for kids
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 County results Congressional district results Precinct resultsCapito: 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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The 2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia happened on November 3, 2020. People in West Virginia voted for someone to represent them in the United States Senate. This election took place at the same time as the U.S. presidential election and other elections across the country.
The person who was already the senator, Shelley Moore Capito, ran again. She won her second term against Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin. Capito won by a large amount, getting 43.3% more votes than Swearengin. She won in every county in West Virginia. This made her the first Republican from West Virginia to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate since 1907.
Paula Jean Swearengin received 27% of the votes. This was the lowest percentage of votes and the biggest loss for any Democratic Senate candidate in West Virginia's history.
Contents
Republican Primary Election
A primary election is held before the main election. It helps political parties choose which candidate will represent them. In the Republican primary, voters chose who would run for the Senate seat.
Candidates Who Ran
The Winner
- Shelley Moore Capito, who was already the U.S. Senator.
Other Candidates
- Larry Butcher, a farmer.
- Allen Whitt, who was the president of the West Virginia Family Policy Council.
Who Supported Capito?
| Shelley Moore Capito |
|---|
|
Primary Election Results
| 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 Election
In the Democratic primary, voters chose who would represent the Democratic Party. Paula Jean Swearengin won this election on June 9, 2020. She received 38.8% of the votes.
Candidates Who Ran
The Winner
- Paula Jean Swearengin, an environmental activist. She also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018.
Other Candidates
- Richard Ojeda, a former state senator.
- Richie Robb, a former mayor of South Charleston.
People Who Did Not Run
- Mike Pushkin, a state delegate.
- Earl Ray Tomblin, a former governor of West Virginia.
Who Supported Swearengin?
| Paula Jean Swearengin |
|---|
|
Primary Election Results
| 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 in the Election
Besides the main parties, other candidates also ran.
Libertarian Party
The Nominee
- David Moran
Independent Candidates
Withdrawn Candidates
- Franklin Riley decided not to run.
General Election
The general election is the main election where voters choose the final winner.
Predictions Before the Election
Experts often predict who will win elections. For this election, many sources thought the Republican candidate, Shelley Moore Capito, would win easily.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report | Safe R | October 29, 2020 |
| Inside Elections | Safe R | October 28, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| Daily Kos | Safe R | October 30, 2020 |
| Politico | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| RCP | Safe R | October 23, 2020 |
| DDHQ | Safe R | November 3, 2020 |
| 538 | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
| Economist | Safe R | November 2, 2020 |
Who Supported the Candidates?
Many groups and people supported the candidates. This is called an endorsement.
| Shelley Moore Capito (R) |
|---|
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| Paula Jean Swearengin (D) |
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Polling Before the Election
Polls are like surveys that ask people who they plan to vote for. This helps guess who might win.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
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% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Shelley Moore Capito (R) |
Generic Democrat |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D) | June 13–14, 2017 | 762 (V) | ± 3.4% | 48% | 35% | 17% |
Final Election Results
On election day, November 3, 2020, the votes were counted. Shelley Moore Capito won the election.
| United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Capito won in all 55 counties of West Virginia. This was the second election in a row where she won every county. In almost all counties, she received more than 70% of the votes.
Images for kids
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Map showing election results by county.
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Map showing election results by congressional district.
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Map showing election results by precinct.
See also
In Spanish: Elección al Senado de los Estados Unidos en Virginia Occidental de 2020 para niños
