Bluefield Daily Telegraph endorses Capito for U.S. Senate

— *** Newspaper Endorsements 2014 ***—

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — The race to fill the U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia being vacated by the retirement of veteran Democrat Jay Rockefeller will be one of the most closely watched contests in the nation come Nov. 4. That’s because voters in West Virginia will not only be choosing a new senator, but they will also be casting a ballot to determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate. It goes without saying that this vote is of monumental importance.

The U.S. Senate is currently controlled by Democrats. The U.S. House is currently — and will continue to be controlled — by Republicans come Nov. 5. The two candidates vying to succeed Rockefeller are Republican Shelly Moore Capito and Democrat Natalie Tennant. After careful consideration and debate, we endorse Capito for election to the U.S. Senate in West Virginia.

We need and deserve a senator in West Virginia who will stand up to and fight President Barack Obama when it comes to his senseless war on coal and other policies that are hurting families here in West Virginia. Capito, a current member of the U.S. House of Representatives, is already a strong and proven leader for West Virginia. She has served in the U.S. House since 2000. She has traveled across the Mountain State, and is familiar with the unique needs of southern West Virginia. Capito, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, also recently toured the King Coal Highway project in Mercer, McDowell and Mingo counties and is promising to fight for federal funding for the future Interstate 73/74 corridor that is absolutely critical to the region’s future.

Capito, a co-founder of the Congressional Coal Caucus, already has a proven record of fighting Obama and the federal EPA’s war on coal. She supports a comprehensive energy plan that includes the use of West Virginia’s energy resources — including coal — to end America’s reliance on foreign oil.

Her challenger, Tennant, is the current Secretary of State of West Virginia and, we believe, is doing a good job in that position. But we believe Capito is the clear choice come Nov. 4.

A Capito victory could very well tip control of the U.S. Senate to Republicans, and West Virginia is one of a handful of races that Republicans must win to have a chance of taking place.

If Republicans do take control of the Senate, it would give the GOP a majority in both the House and the Senate — and provide more equal ground when it comes to fighting Obama on key issues such as coal.

When voters head to the polls on Nov. 4, we strongly urge them to cast a ballot for Capito. We believe she is the clear choice for West Virginia, and our best chance at fighting for a stronger future right here in southern West Virginia.