JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine took early leads in their party primaries for U.S. Senate on Tuesday as elections officials began reporting results.
Schmitt had amassed about 43% 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 27% and Greitens winning 18% of the vote with 12% of the expected vote in, according to Politico.
On the Democratic side, Trudy Busch 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.
