Live dataWest Virginia · 2026 U.S. Senate

Know the problem. Know the candidates. Then vote.

Non-partisan data for West Virginia, drawn from public records and hundreds of news stories.

Public databases
12
Behind 20 measured problems
News stories on problems
929
Read and scored one by one
News stories on candidates
679
Checked against their public record

The 5 biggest problems in West Virginia

Measured from public government data. Not from opinions or headlines.

  1. 1Government Inefficiency

    The worst in the country.

    Critical100/100
  2. 2Mental Health & Addiction Crisis

    The worst in the country.

    Critical92/100
  3. 3Digital Divide

    Among the 2 worst states.

    Critical83/100
  4. 4Food Insecurity

    Among the 2 worst states.

    Critical80/100
  5. 5Education Quality

    The worst in the country.

    Critical80/100
See all 20 problems →

Where the news gets West Virginia wrong

We compare what the data says with what the news covers.

  • Education QualityUnder-covered

    The data says education quality is a bigger problem in West Virginia than the news coverage suggests.

  • AI Displacement RiskUnder-covered

    The data says ai displacement risk is a bigger problem in West Virginia than the news coverage suggests.

  • Political PolarizationOver-covered

    The news talks about political polarization in West Virginia far more than the data says it is a problem here.

See every problem compared →

Who is running in West Virginia

Ranked by Leadership Score — how news coverage describes their leadership. 100 is the best score any leader in U.S. history would earn.

  1. Shelley Moore Capito
    RepublicanParty nominee

    50

    Leadership Score (WATT)

  2. Rachel Lee Fetty Anderson
    DemocratParty nominee

    14

    Leadership Score (WATT)

  3. S. Marshall Wilson
    CParty nominee

    Not enough news coverage to score yet

Detail breakdown
MeasureShelley Moore CapitoRachel Lee Fetty AndersonS. Marshall Wilson
Leadership Score49.7 / 10013.6 / 100—
Credit for strengths in the news+68.1+13.6—
Deduction for criticism in the news−18.5−0.0—
News stories analysed566264
Record Score5.4 / 10No voting record — has not served in CongressNo voting record — has not served in Congress

Look at the details

Everything above, with the numbers behind it.

Longer bar means bigger problem

Ranked by government data alone, ignoring headlines and politics. 0 means the problem does not exist. 100 means it is as bad as it gets. The dotted line is the average across all 50 states.

1. Government Inefficiency
100 (Critical)Worse than average
2. Mental Health & Addiction Crisis
92 (Critical)Worse than average
3. Digital Divide
83 (Critical)Worse than average
4. Food Insecurity
80 (Critical)Worse than average
5. Education Quality
80 (Critical)Worse than average
6. Grid Reliability
65 (Critical)Worse than average
7. AI Displacement Risk
59 (Moderate)Worse than average
8. Transportation & Traffic
57 (Moderate)Worse than average
9. Wage Stagnation & Income Inequality
55 (Moderate)Worse than average
10. Job Availability
54 (Moderate)Worse than average