Charleston Daily Mail: Capito is clear choice in US Senate race

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Voters can select among five candidates in West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Democrat Jay Rockefeller. Rockefeller has served in the post since spending a record $12.3 million to get elected over John Raese in 1984.

Political pundits might say there are just two realistic choices this year, the Democrat and Republican candidates. But actually, there is only one real choice for the best person to be West Virginia’s next U.S. Senator: Republican Shelley Moore Capito.

Capito was among the five candidates in the race who met with the Daily Mail editorial board on Thursday.

The others are Libertarian John Buckley, the Constitution Party’s Phil Hudock, Mountain Party candidate Bob Henry Baber, and Democrat and current Secretary of State Natalie Tennant.

As an underdog coming into the race, Tennant is working hard to chip away at Capito’s 17-point lead, as reported in the most recent West Virginia Poll.

There are many West Virginia reasons to vote for Capito.

She has served the state well in two terms as a member of the House of Delegates and seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

During that time, she has proven to be responsive, involved and in-tune with the needs of West Virginians.

While many blame any member of Congress for its current dysfunction, Capito is one of the most reasonable members in the House.

Yet this race is bigger than West Virginia. Anyone who is frustrated by the current tenor and lack of civility in Congress can help by voting to flip the Senate from a Democrat majority to Republican, so that bills tied up for months can move off the majority leader’s desk and the U.S. Senate can finally make progress toward solving the country’s problems.

It’s really an easy selection. The clear choice for U.S. Senate is Shelley Moore Capito.

Early voting starts Wednesday. The general election is Nov. 4.