West Virginia GOP Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is slated to announce Monday that she will run in 2014 for the Senate seat now occupied by Democrat Jay Rockefeller.
The six-term veteran Capito, 59, has been angling for a Senate bid for years,
West Virginia Metro News reports. A contest between the two heavyweight West Virginian politicians could turn into a battle for the ages. Rockefeller, 75, is a five-term Senator and previous to that served two terms as governor.
"Congresswoman Capito called last week to let me know of her plans, and I appreciate that," Rockefeller said in a prepared statement. "But my total focus right now is on the national budget situation and the fight for West Virginia families — making sure the very wealthy finally start paying their fair share again, for the first time in decades, rebuilding a strong middle class, and creating real opportunity for those who are still struggling."
While Rockefeller has signaled that he will seek re-election in 2014, speculation abounds that he will retire instead. Capito, meanwhile, has grown into the state’s most powerful GOP politician since her father Arch Moore, who served three terms as governor before ending up in jail for a corruption scandal. Capito has succeeded with moderate views and strong campaign skills.
Capito led Rockefeller 48 to 44 percent in a poll conducted for the Charleston Daily Mail by R.L. Repass & Partners Aug. 22-25. The poll’s margin of error is 4.9 percentage points.
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