By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief

“It is wonderful to be here to be declared a winner on such a night. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say a great, great thank you. … I will continue to always serve you as I have for the last several years.” — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on winning a third term in the U.S. Senate

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., delivers remarks at the Leatherwood Water Extension groundbreaking ceremony in Clendenin, West Virginia on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s office)

By Amelia Ferrell Knisely

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., will continue serving in the U.S. Senate after the election was called by the Associated Press in her favor about an hour after polls closed.

Rep. Carol Miller was first elected to Congress in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Carol Miller for Congress)

By Author Name

Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., will be returning to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Riley Moore, speaks at Blueridge Community and Technical College on Oct. 2, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Congressman RIley M. Moore’s Facebook page)

By Lori Kersey

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., has won another two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The empty chamber of the West Virginia House of Delegates in the state Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)

By Henry Culvyhouse

Results from the Associated Press indicate Democrats may have up to 20 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates when the Legislature convenes in January.

Emblem of the West Virginia Senate in the state Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by Will Price/West Virginia Legislative Photography)

By Amelia Ferrell Knisely

While the state Senate remains firmly under GOP control, Democratic candidates gained three seats in the Upper Chamber. The wins included flipping two seats to Blue in areas with West Virginia’s last Democratic strongholds.

Voting tables with “I Voted” dividers at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. (Photo by Katie Adkins/Arkansas Advocate)

By Lori Kersey

West Virginia voters have approved an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting non-citizens from voting in state elections.

Former Del. Elliott Pritt addresses the House of Delegates on the last night of the 2026 legislative session. Pritt, who faces a federal charge, plans to plead guilty. (Photo by Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

By Amelia Ferrell Knisely and Henry Culvyhouse

A disgraced, former assistant majority leader in the House of Delegates is expected to plead guilty in federal court to charges relating to the sexual assault of a teenager.

The Public Employees Insurance Agency is proposing increasing premiums again for the 2028 fiscal year. (Photo by Lori Kersey/West Virginia Watch)

By Lori Kersey

The West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency finance board will host a series of public meetings around the state this month about proposed rate increases for fiscal year 2028, which begins in July 2027. 

NATIONAL

Few rental listings across the largest U.S. cities are flagged as reserved for renters under an income limit, according to a new analysis. (Wyatt Gordon/The Virginia Mercury)

By Robbie Sequeira

Fewer than 1 in 20 rental listings across the largest U.S. cities are flagged as reserved for renters under an income limit, according to new data.

By Ashley Murray and Shauneen Miranda

WASHINGTON — In a stunning upset, Democrats ousted Republicans and flipped control of the U.S. Senate Tuesday night, effectively establishing a barricade for President Donald Trump’s agenda for the last two years of his term.

By Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa

WASHINGTON — Democrats are largely expected to regain control of the U.S. House once all ballots are counted in this year’s midterm elections, though it will likely take days or even weeks to know just how many seats the party will pick up.

By Ariana Figueroa

WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of Americans have already cast a ballot in the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and shape President Donald Trump’s remaining policy agenda.

By Jonathan Shorman

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, mere hours before Election Day in the midterms that will determine control of Congress, denied the Trump administration’s final attempt to force California to set aside the ballots of 20,000 people it suspects are noncitizens.

By Jonathan Shorman

After the Trump administration pressured election officials, after concerns that armed federal agents would deploy to the polls, after fears U.S. Department of Justice election monitors would intimidate voters — ballots were cast by the millions Tuesday, mostly without incident.

COMMENTARY

Some healthcare and federal employees believe that getting medical help for stress, depression or burnout could put their job credentials at risk. (Photo by Olga Pankova/Getty Images)

By Martha Fernandez

Along Interstate 79 in North Central West Virginia, two kinds of workers carry a quiet fear about their own mental health. One group is the physicians, nurses and other clinicians who keep the state’s hospitals and clinics open. The other is the federal workforce in Clarksburg, home of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, which the FBI describes as the largest division in the bureau.

ICYMI

Thanks for reading First Watch. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.