Freshly christened Democratic nominee Trudy Busch Valentine walked into Chris’ Pancake and Dining on Wednesday morning and did a lap, shaking the hands of people there to eat — some there to see her, others who just wanted a tall stack of pancakes.
It was a brief victory lap before beginning what will be an uphill battle in her campaign for U.S. Senate, where she will face Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. Already, elections analysts like the University of Virginia’s Sabato’s Crystal Ball had moved the race from “likely Republican” to “safe Republican” after Schmitt beat back scandal-plagued former Gov. Eric Greitens’ attempt at a political comeback Tuesday night.
But if there was one thing injecting hope into Democrats Wednesday morning, it was a vote across in neighboring Kansas, where voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right to an abortion in the state, a massive victory for abortion rights advocates in a red state.
