Insider
Missouri is holding highly watched Senate primaries on Tuesday. Polls in the state closed at 7 p.m. local time and 8 p.m. ET.
The races and the stakes:
US Senate
When two-term Republican Sen. Roy Blunt announced that he was retiring last year, the prospects for the party retaining the seat appeared strong. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill was defeated by Josh Hawley in her bid for a third term in 2018 and Missouri voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in 2020.
However, when former Gov. Eric Greitens jumped into the race, many party leaders became worried that he could endanger the seat. Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and Rhodes scholar who at one time was seen as a rising national Republican star, was elected as governor in November 2016 but stepped down from office in June 2018 amid a scandal that involved allegations of blackmail sexual assault from his former hairdresser.
Earlier this year, Sheena Greitens, the candidate’s ex-wife, filed a sworn affidavit accusing him of physical abuse against her and one of their children. Eric Greitens has vehemently denied the allegations.
But the circumstances of his resignation and the accusations from his ex-wife have concerned national Republicans, who fear his nomination could make the seat vulnerable, even in the GOP-leaning Show Me State.
Besides Greitens, the leading Republicans in the primary include state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, and Reps. Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler.
Trump on Monday injected more unpredictability into the race by declaring that he was backing “ERIC” while not specifying the last name of the candidate he had just endorsed. Both Greitens and Schmitt have claimed the endorsement for their respective candidacies.
The top-name Democrats in the race are Lucas Kunce, a Marine veteran and attorney, and Trudy Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune and a former nurse.
State Auditor
State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick and state Rep. David Gregory are seeking to succeed Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway, who didn’t seek reelection this year.
Alan Green, a former state representative, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Notable US House races
4th District
Hartzler vacated her seat to run for the Senate, which has attracted a large GOP field in this open-seat race.
The Republican candidates include state Sen. Rick Brattin, cattle rancher Kalena Bruce, former news anchor Mark Alford, former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks, and former professional ice hockey player Jim Campbell.
Jack Truman is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in this solidly Republican district.
7th District
With Long also running for the Senate, this GOP-friendly congressional district anchored in southwestern Missouri features a wide open contest.
The Republican candidates in the race include state Sens. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon; former state Sen. Jay Wasson; pastor Alex Bryant; and Dr. Sam Alexander.
The candidates in the Democratic primary include Bryce Lockwood, Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, and John Woodman.
State legislative primaries: