JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Busch family, which founded Anheuser-Busch, one of the world’s largest beer companies, has loomed large in Missouri politics for decades before Trudy Busch Valentine launched her Senate campaign.
It’s nearly impossible to avoid the family name or one of their products in the Show-Me State. Members of the wealthy family, sometimes called the “first family of beer,” have regularly supported candidates of both major political parties. They’ve also been involved in environmental issues and hosted numerous philanthropic events at their sprawling Grant’s Farm estate in St. Louis.
“There’s nobody in St. Louis that doesn’t have some story or some, you know, second or third or even first party experience with the Busch family or their enterprises,” said Lou Hamilton, a longtime lobbyist for Anheuser-Busch.
