Capito wins re-election - WOWK 13 Charleston, Huntington WV News, Weather, Sports

Rep. Shelley  Moore Capito has been re-elected to a seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives, based on a strong showing in early returns.

Capito, a Republican who was first elected in 2000, had 67 percent of the vote with 142 of 558 precincts reporting. She led Democratic challenger Democrat Howard Swint 48,862 to 24,073 as of 9:20 p.m.

Capito said she looks forward to working to alleviate economic uncertainty that has affected West Virginia and the nation over the past few years. One way to do that, she said, is to focus on energy.

"It's time to make those tough decisions that everyone talked about during this campaign and its time to make certain energy is the top priority in this country," she said. "That means coal, that means natural gas, that means all forms of energy. Not only is it good for the nation, its good for future generations and that's what West Virginia is all about."

Capito serves on several Congressional committees, including the Subcommittee on Economic Development. She also serves on the House Financial Services committee, which has jurisdiction over the nation's housing and financial sectors. Swint, a Charleston real estate developer, has contended throughout the race that Capito has personally benefited from her position on the committee. He has alleged that Capito and her husband benefited from insider trading information when they traded Citigroup stock in 2008.

This was Swint's third attempt at getting elected to Congress. He lost the Democratic primaries in 1996 and 2004.

Capito previously served in the West Virginia Legislature and is the daughter of former Gov. Arch Moore.