Republican West Virginia Senate candidate Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is downplaying the role outside groups could have in her Senate campaign.
"I live in West Virginia and my first loyalties and my first priorities are to the people of West Virginia," Capito said to Chuck Todd on The Daily Rundown Tuesday. "I didn't come to Congress to be rated by a national group. I came to Congress to help the people that I serve and I'm going to keep doing that."
On the day Capito announced her bid for Sen. Jay Rockefeller's, D-W.Va, seat, who later announced his retirement, the conservative Club for Growth issued a statement hitting the congresswoman for her "establishment record."
The tax-focused group played an active role in Republican primaries during the 2012 campaign, spending more than $17 million on ads with mixed results. Many Republicans now see last year’s election as a lost opportunity to win control of the Senate after conservative candidates made major gaffes, costing them competitive seats in Missouri and Indiana. Capito reminded viewers of this reality.
"I think we have to look at what's at stake here and that's control of the United States Senate. " said Capito. "Electability is extremely important."
So far, no major Republican candidates have announced a potential run against Capito.