Capito, Shelley Moore (1953-…), became a United States senator in 2015. Capito, a Republican , represents West Virginia . Prior to her election to the Senate, Capito had served for 14 years as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives .
Shelley Wellons Moore was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia, on Nov. 26, 1953. Her father, Arch A. Moore, Jr., served as West Virginia’s governor from 1969 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1989. Shelley Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University in 1975 and a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia in 1976. She married Charles Capito, a financial executive.
After receiving her master’s degree, Shelley Moore Capito worked as a career counselor for West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University). From 1978 to 1981, she was director of the West Virginia Board of Regents Educational Information Center. In 1996, and again in 1998, she won election to the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing Kanawha County.
In 2000, Capito was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She won reelection every two years from 2002 to 2012. As a congresswoman, Capito gained a reputation as a moderate. She voted with her party on most issues but supported some Democratic measures that she felt would benefit poor residents of her state. In the House, she served on the Financial Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She also served as a cochairwoman of the Congressional Women’s Caucus and helped found the Congressional Coal Caucus. Capito won election to the U.S. Senate in 2014.
