最新杏吧原创

JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine will face off in the November general election contest for U.S. Senate, Missouri voters decided Tuesday.

Schmitt handily won Missouri鈥檚 Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating a scandal-plagued former governor and a six-term congresswoman on his way to the nomination.

Schmitt was winning about 46% of the Republican primary vote in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. His closest competitors, former Gov. Eric Greitens and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, were trailing, with Hartzler taking 22% and Greitens winning 19% of the vote with 77% of the expected vote in, .

The Associated Press called the race for Schmitt at about 9 p.m.

About 300 people had come out to Schmitt鈥檚 election watch party at the Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights on Tuesday night. Schmitt declared victory shortly before 9:30 p.m.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 come from billions; I come from Bridgeton,鈥� the Bridgeton native said, shooting a verbal jab at Valentine, who won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. She is the daughter of beer baron August 鈥淕ussie鈥� Busch.

Schmitt labeled himself as a fighter and promised he would square off against Democrats, especially the 鈥渞adical progressives ... because the Democrats aren鈥檛 playing small ball, they鈥檙e playing for keeps.鈥�

Valentine, who had secured the backing of many in the Democratic Party establishment, was leading her closest rival, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who on Monday received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

With nearly 90% of expected votes in, Valentine was winning 43% of the Democratic vote while Kunce had captured 38%, according to Politico.

Valentine, in her acceptance speech to supporters gathered at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 union hall, focused on bridging political divides in the general election.

鈥淚'm going to approach politics the same way I approach nursing and my life,鈥� she said late Tuesday. 鈥淚'm going to treat everyone with compassion, respect and integrity. I'm going to put our differences aside and embrace what unites us.鈥�

While Valentine held a large advantage in 最新杏吧原创, 最新杏吧原创 County and in surrounding metro counties, Kunce was leading in parts of mid-Missouri, including Boone and Cole counties, as well as in parts of southeast and northeast Missouri.

Schmitt, the 47-year-old attorney general, portrayed himself as the electable alternative to Greitens in the closing hours of the race, after former President Donald Trump endorsed them both late Monday.

Greitens, after sharing the Trump endorsement with Schmitt, characterized his rival as a 鈥淩INO,鈥� or Republican in name only, and a 鈥渃areer politician.鈥�

In brief remarks to supporters in Chesterfield on Tuesday, after results showed him losing by a wide margin, an upbeat Greitens thanked them and said, 鈥淕od has a plan. It doesn鈥檛 always work on our timeline.鈥�

Greitens resigned in 2018 after admitting to an affair with his hairdresser and being indicted on an invasion of privacy charge in 最新杏吧原创. He also faced a felony charge connected to a charity donor list his 2016 campaign received. Both cases were eventually dropped.

Schmitt, who dismissed Greitens as a quitter, cast himself as a conservative fighter, pointing to his list of lawsuits against President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration and actions against local governments and school districts.

The attorney general鈥檚 actions appealed to Joel Gilson, 40, of Jefferson City, who said he voted for Schmitt in the primary. 鈥淗e actually is doing his job,鈥� Gilson said. 鈥淗e went against the mask mandates.鈥�

At 7:30 p.m. at the EPIC Empowerment campus in Chesterfield, Greitens supporters were gathered amid a slew of reporters and cameramen awaiting results.

Even though Greitens has lost key supporters 鈥� including his wife and former campaign manager 鈥� during his years of scandal, at least one former cabinet member from his administration showed up at the ex-governor鈥檚 watch party.

鈥淗e鈥檚 the same Eric I went to work for,鈥� said Drew Juden, 65, who served as director of the Department of Public Safety under Greitens. 鈥淲hat you see is what you get. It鈥檚 a shame that some people have chosen to attack him unjustly.鈥�

Steve Nickel, 67, of the Sappington area of south 最新杏吧原创 County, was among the crowd who showed up Tuesday for Greitens鈥� election night party.

鈥淚 think he鈥檚 going to take it,鈥� Nickel said. 鈥淚 am really not worried.鈥�

Nickel, a retired small business owner and Eagle Scout who voted for Barack Obama and Donald Trump, said he volunteered for the Greitens campaign, the first time he鈥檇 put his own shoulder to the political wheel since Ross Perot ran for president.

鈥淕rassroots,鈥� Nickel said from under a black cowboy hat. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care for these politicians who are in it for themselves.鈥�

On the Democratic side, Zachary Stickann, 43, of Jefferson City, cast his vote for Lucas Kunce, about a mile away from where Kunce grew up in . His wife, Laura Stickann, 43, voted for Spencer Toder.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to vote for an heiress if that鈥檚 one of their main claims to fame,鈥� he said, referring to Valentine.

鈥淪he also didn鈥檛 do hardly any campaigning,鈥� said Laura Stickann, also 43.

鈥淚 think he鈥檚 a breath of fresh air,鈥� Stickann said of Toder. 鈥淚t would be wonderful if he would win the primary; I don鈥檛 know if he will. I don鈥檛 know that enough people know about him.鈥�

Erin Heffernan of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.