Demonstrators gather to protest redistricting efforts in Tennessee
Protesters gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville on Tuesday, May 5, as Republican lawmakers held a special session to consider redrawing the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Senate race in the Mountain State is becoming clearer.
Results of West Virginia’s May 12 primary show that attorney Rachel Anderson will be the Democratic candidate to face incumbent Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. The race comes at a time when Republicans are in the midst of a fight to maintain narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress. In West Virginia, other races for the state Legislature, the state Supreme Court and other local offices were on the ballot as well.
Here are the results of Tuesday’s election and what they mean for the state and country, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
West Virginia Senate Primary Results
- republican party: Shelley Moore Capito won with 66.5% of the vote, with an estimated 99% of the votes counted. Tom Willis came in second place with 18.9% of the votes.
- Democratic Party: Rachel Anderson won with 33.1% of the vote, with an estimated 99% of votes counted. Jeffrey Kessler (27%) and Zachary Shrewsberry (16.1%) were second and third, respectively.
Who won the West Virginia House primary?
While the Senate race will be a Capito vs. Anderson race, the state also voted for candidates in both House races. Incumbent Rep. Carol Miller of the 1st District and Rep. Riley Moore of the 2nd District will seek to defend their seats.
According to the Associated Press and CNN, the winners of the House elections are:
District 1
- Republican: Incumbent Rep. Carol Miller won with 72% of the vote and 99% of the votes counted.
- Democratic Party: Vince George won with 53% of the vote and 99% of the votes counted.
district 2
- Republican: Incumbent Congressman Riley Moore won uncontested.
- Democratic Party: With 99% of votes counted, ace Parsi came in first with 39.7% of the votes. Stephanie Tomana (37.9%) and Stephen Wendelin (22.4%) were the close candidates.
Why does this primary stand out?
Tuesday’s West Virginia primary election was made more meaningful by the change in administration. This was the first statewide election under two new election rules. The first is stricter voter ID laws, requiring voters to show a photo ID at polling places, which went into effect during the 2025 legislative session. The second change makes Republican primaries private for the first time, meaning only registered Republican voters can vote in the party’s primaries.
These two changes are noteworthy, said Enrigeta Sino, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama. They present new insights into how the changes will affect voter and candidate performance, as well as election procedures.
“Both changes are happening in the same cycle,” Shino says. “(The changes) provide a useful test of how access and turnout respond when eligibility and identification rules work together.”
