CLARKSBURG — West Virginia state Sen. Tom Willis filed paperwork with the West Virginia Secretary of State to run for the U.S. Senate, launching a Republican primary challenge against Sen. Shelley Moore Capito before a press conference in Clarksburg.
Willis, a Republican from Berkeley County, framed his candidacy as a call for change, arguing Capito has been in Washington too long and no longer represents conservative values.
“Frankly, it’s time for a change,” Willis said. “West Virginia has been let down. She’s been up in Washington, D.C., for too long, and it’s time for new leadership.”
Willis highlighted Capito’s controversial support for the Biden-era Afghan Refugee Resettlement Program, in which Capito joined democrats to spend $13 billion in taxpayer money to relocate refugees from Afghanistan into the United States.
“She voted for the Afghan refugee resettlement, which brought 70,000 to 100,000 Afghan refugees, largely unvetted, one of whom killed one of our own West Virginia National Guardsmen and severely wounded another,” Willis said, criticizing Capito’s support of the policy.
Willis is a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and has served more than 20 years in the West Virginia National Guard. He is currently chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the West Virginia Senate. Willis also described himself as a business owner, saying he operates a law firm with three offices, a title and escrow company, and works as a general contractor.
During his remarks, Willis accused Capito of skipping a vote on legislation aimed at banning male athletes from participating in girls’ sports, voting for unconstitutional “red flag” gun laws, and supporting Afghan refugee resettlement following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He also alleged Capito ranked among the highest members of the Senate for insider trading.
Willis said his campaign will focus on protecting Second Amendment rights, religious freedom and free speech, opposing abortion, securing the U.S. border, balancing the federal budget and imposing term limits on members of Congress. He also said he supports limited government, lower taxes and reduced regulation.
The Republican Primary is scheduled for May 12, 2026.
Capito was first elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
