CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) says her son is “the most capable and energetic candidate” she’s seen run for governor of West Virginia in years.
“I will be supporting him,” the senator said when asked about her son’s campaign during a Thursday conference call with reporters.
Moore Capito, a Kanawha County delegate, announced earlier this week on MetroNews “Talkline” he plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2024.
Sen. Capito said her son has a lot of unique qualities that make him fit for the job.
“He’s very savvy in terms of being able to connect with people to listen. That’s his strong suit and I would encourage him to move forward with that, but this is his campaign. It’s not mine” she said.
Capito said she’ll act as a mentor, but won’t tell him what to do during his campaign.
“I’m sort of in the role of if he has a question, I’m happy to answer it, but he’s going to campaign and make his own way just like I did when I started,” she said.
Capito said her late father, former Gov. Arch Moore, would be proud of his grandson. She said Moore reminds her of her father when he first ran for office.
“If you look back at my dad’s 1968 campaign, when he was a much younger man when he first ran, the energy that he produced I think is something that I see in the eyes of my son,” she said.
Del. Moore Capito currently serves as the House Judiciary Committee Chairman. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2016.
Moore’s cousin and state Treasurer Riley Moore, also a Republican, announced last week he plans to run for the state’s second congressional district in 2024.