Mike Caputo
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{for-multi|the political adviser|Michael Caputo|the American football player|Michael Caputo (American football)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mike Caputo
| image = Mike Caputo 2008.jpg
| caption = Caputo in 2008
| state_senate = West Virginia
| state = West Virginia
| district = 13th
| term_start = December 1, 2020
| term_end = December 1, 2024
| preceded = Roman Prezioso
| succeeded = Joey Garcia
| term_start1 = December 1, 1996
| term_end1 = December 1, 2020
| party = Democratic
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|9|18}}
| birth_place = Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = United Mine Workers of America International Representatives
| spouse = Tina Thorne
| residence = Marion County, West Virginia
| office1 = Member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates
| predecessor = Roman Prezioso
| predecessor1 = Roman Prezioso
| successor1 = {{plainlist|
- Joey Garcia
- Phil Mallow
- Guy Ward
}}
| constituency1 = 43rd district (1996–2012)
50th district (2012–2020)
}}
Michael Caputo (born September 18, 1957) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate, representing the 13th District from 2020 to 2024.{{Cite web|title=West Virginia State Senate Mike Caputo (D - Marion, 13)|url=https://www.wvlegislature.gov/senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Caputo|website=West Virginia Legislature}} Caputo was the only new Democratic senator elected in the 2020 Senate elections.
Prior his election to the Senate, Caputo represented the 50th District in the West Virginia House of Delegates for 24 years and was most recently serving as Minority Whip.{{Cite news|last=Adams|first=Steven Allen|date=December 4, 2019|title=Mike Caputo to run for state Senate|work=The Parkersburg News and Sentinel|url=https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2019/12/mike-caputo-to-run-for-state-senate/}} Caputo also served as majority whip for eight years until the Republicans took the majority in 2014.
He was born and raised in Rivesville, West Virginia and attended Rivesville Elementary School and Rivesville High School. He is a career coal miner and a member of the United Mine Workers of America.
West Virginia Senate
In February 2023, Caputo cast the only vote against the Creating Charter Schools Stimulus Fund Bill in the West Virginia Senate.{{cite web |url=https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/2023/RS/votes/senate/02-13-0169.pdf |title=West Virginia Senate Roll Call SB 47 |date=13 February 2023 |website=wvlegislature.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313051331/http://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/2023/RS/votes/senate/02-13-0169.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2023 |url-status=live}}
Caputo did not run for re-election in 2024.{{Cite news|last=Galloway|first=McKenna|title=West Virginia Sen. Mike Caputo will not seek re-election in 2024|url=https://www.timeswv.com/news/local_news/west-virginia-sen-mike-caputo-will-not-seek-re-election-in-2024/article_cfd6646e-3633-11ee-a11f-7fb7900f765d.html|date=August 9, 2023|website=Times West Virginian|accessdate=November 10, 2023}}
Elections
2020: After nearly 25 years in the House, Caputo decided to run for the seat held by the retiring Minority Leader Roman Prezioso. A retired coal miner and former district vice president for the United Mine Workers of America, Caputo ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.{{Cite web|title=June 9, 2020 Primary Election Results|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/103231/web.259135/#/summary|website=West Virginia Secretary of State}} Caputo faced retired teacher and Republican nominee Rebecca Polis in the November general election. Caputo beat Polis by a comfortable 56-44% margin.{{Cite web|title=November 3, 2020 General Election Results|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/106210/web.264614/#/summary|website=West Virginia Secretary of State}}
{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 13 election, 2020{{cite web|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/106210/web.264614/#/summary|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 3, 2020|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|accessdate=February 15, 2021}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Mike Caputo
|votes = 26,095
|percentage = 56.22%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rebecca Polis
|votes = 20,321
|percentage = 43.78%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 46,416
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Controversy
Caputo was criminally charged for an incident where he allegedly kicked open a door to the House chamber which struck an assistant doorkeeper during the final week of the 2019 legislative session.{{Cite news|last=Adams|first=Steven Allen|date=January 29, 2020|title=Charges against Minority Whip Caputo dropped|work=The Parkersburg News and Sentinel|url=https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2020/01/charges-against-minority-whip-caputo-dropped/}}
According to a criminal complaint filed by Capitol Police in Kanawha County Magistrate Court, Caputo – after being angered by an anti-Muslim display placed outside the House Chamber in March – pushed or kicked the door to the chamber open, hitting an assistant doorkeeper. Witnesses saw Caputo hit the doorkeeper with the door, who sought medical attention afterward. Caputo also allegedly injured a delegate on his way to his seat.
Caputo apologized in a floor speech the next day for kicking the door and was removed from all committee assignments by House leadership as punishment. Efforts by some House Republicans to remove Caputo from office or censure Caputo failed, and charges were eventually dismissed by the Kanawha County Circuit Court citing Caputo's legislative immunity.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Caputo West Virginia Legislature - Senator Mike Caputo] official government website
- [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=11762 Project Vote Smart - Representative Michael 'Mike' Caputo (WV)] profile
- [https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2019/03/west-virginia-house-of-delegates-minority-whip-mike-caputo-faces-possible-censure-expulsion-for-kicking-door-injuring-staffer/ West Virginia House of Delegates Minority Whip Mike Caputo Faces Possible Censure, Expulsion for Kicking Door, Injuring Staffer]
- Follow the Money - Mike Caputo
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=99692 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=81973 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=66146 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=5784 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=59524 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56990 1998] campaign contributions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caputo, Mike}}
Category:Democratic Party West Virginia state senators
Category:Politicians from Fairmont, West Virginia
Category:21st-century members of the West Virginia Legislature