The 2020 United States Senate election in West Virginia was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of West Virginia, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

Incumbent senator Shelley Moore Capito won a second term against Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin by 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 Candidates Nominee Shelley Moore Capito, incumbent U.S. Senator

Eliminated in primary Larry Butcher, farmer Allen Whitt, president of the West Virginia Family Policy Council

Endorsements

Results

Democratic primary Paula Jean Swearengin won the nomination with 38.8% of the vote in the state's Democratic primary on June 9, 2020.

Candidates Nominee Paula Jean Swearengin, environmental activist and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2018

Eliminated in primary Richard Ojeda, former state senator, nominee for West Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2018, and former candidate for president of the United States in 2020 Richie Robb, former mayor of South Charleston

Declined Mike Pushkin, state delegate Earl Ray Tomblin, former governor of West Virginia

Endorsements

Results

Other candidates Libertarian Party Nominee David Moran

Independents Withdrawn Franklin Riley

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 29, 2020 Inside Elections October 28, 2020 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 2, 2020Daily Kos October 30, 2020PoliticoNovember 2, 2020RCPOctober 23, 2020DDHQNovember 3, 2020538November 2, 2020EconomistNovember 2, 2020

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin Shelley MooreCapito (R) Paula JeanSwearengin (D) DavidMoran (L) UndecidedResearch America Inc.Research America Inc.October 6–9, 2020450 (LV)± 4.6%53%33%5%9%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Shelley Moore Capito (R) GenericDemocrat UndecidedPublic Policy Polling (D)Public Policy Polling (D) June 13–14, 2017 762 (V) ± 3.4% 48% 35% 17%

Results

By county 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 nine counties.

CountyShelley Moore CapitoRepublicanPaula Jean SwearenginDemocraticDavid MoranLibertarianMarginTotalvotes#%#%#%#%Barbour5,09677.001,33120.111912.893,76556.896,618Berkeley34,16267.2315,19729.911,4532.8618,96537.3250,812Boone6,67475.272,01622.741772.004,65852.538,867Braxton4,00672.221,39525.151462.632,61147.075,547Brooke7,35570.962,69926.043113.004,65644.9210,365Cabell22,88062.3012,97935.348642.359,90126.9636,723Calhoun2,27678.8153718.59752.601,73960.222,888Clay2,68080.3857517.25792.372,10563.143,334Doddridge2,50782.9041513.721023.372,09269.183,024Fayette11,15867.794,93830.003642.216,22037.7916,460Gilmer1,93974.7858622.60682.621,35352.182,593Grant4,54486.8753410.211532.924,01076.665,231Greenbrier11,04270.694,29927.522801.796,74343.1715,621Hampshire7,76479.221,76418.002722.786,00061.229,800Hancock9,59371.383,48425.923622.696,10945.4613,439Hardy4,87978.181,19619.161662.663,68359.016,241Harrison21,19470.647,80726.021,0003.3313,38744.6230,001Jackson10,29877.212,75420.652852.147,54456.5613,337Jefferson15,62557.2311,03340.416462.374,59216.8227,304Kanawha50,95362.8528,56535.241,5501.9122,38827.6281,068Lewis5,73677.461,43119.322383.214,30558.147,405Lincoln5,77075.731,66321.831862.444,10753.907,619Logan9,81079.712,26618.412311.887,54461.3012,307Marion16,72266.017,62630.109853.899,09635.9125,333Marshall10,65577.122,91321.082491.807,74256.0313,817Mason8,42176.062,33321.073172.866,08854.9911,071McDowell4,53975.441,36322.651151.913,17652.786,017Mercer18,74076.485,26921.504942.0213,47154.9824,503Mineral9,83077.952,30818.304723.747,52259.6512,610Mingo7,76181.571,52516.032282.406,23665.549,514Monongalia22,14053.3717,86343.061,4833.574,27710.3141,486Monroe4,90177.341,30520.591312.073,59656.746,337Morgan6,50476.301,79721.082232.624,70755.228,524Nicholas7,97676.692,21421.292102.025,76255.4010,400Ohio13,37368.075,90530.063681.877,46838.0119,646Pendleton2,84079.1567718.87711.982,16360.283,588Pleasants2,62877.7363418.751193.521,99458.983,381Pocahontas2,70770.261,03426.841122.911,67343.423,853Preston9,95369.712,66418.661,66011.637,28951.0514,277Putnam20,81273.786,78424.056132.1714,02849.7328,209Raleigh23,70873.028,20125.265611.7315,50747.7632,470Randolph8,87373.912,86823.892652.216,00550.0212,006Ritchie3,47483.4956913.671182.842,90569.814,161Roane4,26075.001,30222.921182.082,95852.085,680Summers3,83970.861,46727.081122.072,37243.785,418Taylor5,40273.951,58221.663214.393,82052.297,305Tucker2,70671.3885422.532316.091,85248.853,791Tyler3,09580.6661215.951303.392,48364.713,837Upshur7,78877.481,95319.433103.085,83558.0510,051Wayne12,04873.803,89523.863832.358,15349.9416,326Webster2,58578.8461318.69812.471,97260.143,279Wetzel4,81174.121,44122.202393.683,37051.926,491Wirt2,11681.3242616.37602.311,69064.952,602Wood27,73372.759,35924.551,0312.7018,37448.2038,123Wyoming6,57380.081,48918.141461.785,08461.948,208 Totals547,45470.28210,30927.0021,1552.72337,14543.28778,918

By congressional district Moore Capito won all three congressional districts. District Moore Capito Jean Swearengin Representative 70% 27%David McKinley 69% 29%Alex Mooney 73% 25%Carol Miller

Notes Partisan clients

Voter samples and additional candidates

References

External links

(state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)

Official campaign websites (archived) Shelley Moore Capito (R) for Senate Paula Jean Swearengin (D) for Senate