Eric Schmitt Wins Missouri GOP Senate Primary After (Sort Of) Earning Trump’s Endorsement

Topline

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt will be the Republican nominee for his state’s open Senate seat, the Associated Press projected, defeating former Gov. Eric Greitens and Rep. Vicky Hartzler in a tight primary that was thrown into disarray this week after former President Donald Trump endorsed “ERIC”—a name shared by two major candidates.

Key Facts

After 51% of ballots were counted, Schmitt led the field with 44.8% of total votes, followed by Hartzler at 23.1%, Greitens at 19.5%, Rep. Billy Long at 3.9% and Mark McCloskey—an attorney best known for waving a gun near Black Lives Matter protesters outside his St. Louis house—at 3.1%.

Schmitt still needs to defeat the Democratic nominee in November before replacing outgoing Sen. Roy Blunt (R), though Republicans are widely believed to have an edge in the race.

Surprising Fact

Trump’s endorsement was highly sought-after in the Missouri race, but the former president baffled many observers Monday by saying he trusts voters “to make up their own minds,” before declaring that “ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Schmitt and Greitens—who share the first name Eric—both responded by claiming to have Trump’s backing, and a Trump spokesperson told NBC News the statement “speaks for itself.” Politico reports the confusing dual endorsement followed hours of lobbying by Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle (who supported Greitens) and GOP chair Ronna McDaniel (who argued against backing Greitens), after which Trump decided to simply endorse both candidates.

Key Background

Schmitt’s campaign touted his track record as Missouri attorney general, which includes a lawsuit against the Biden Administration for canceling the Keystone XL pipeline and an unusual lawsuit against China for Covid-19. Meanwhile, Hartzler drew on her 11 years in Congress and her endorsement from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), while Greitens positioned himself as a hardliner eager to “hunt” politicians he views as “Republicans In Name Only.” For Greitens, the Senate race was a chance to rescue his career after he resigned as governor in 2018 amid a cloud of scandal, including allegations he’d coerced a woman into having sex with him and threatened to release nude photos if she revealed their relationship (Greitens admitted to having an affair but insisted it was consensual). During the campaign, Greitens’ ex-wife also accused him of violent behavior, leading both Schmitt and Hartzler to call him unfit for office—though Greitens denied the allegations.

Further Reading

Inside the wild Bedminster lobbying spree that led to Trump’s double Missouri endorsement (Politico)