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Since leaving the White House, Donald Trump, has, for now, set out to steal Richard Neville’s title and become the famed “kingmaker” within the Republican Party. His influence in primaries nationwide does not go unnoticed by any candidate aspiring to win an election within the GOP. However, despite endorsing 57 people for the midterm elections, Trump has yet to pick a name in Missouri.
This time around, with an evenly-split Senate and Kamala Harris ready to break the tie when necessary, the upcoming upper chamber elections will prove to be of paramount importance to Republicans.
Donald Trump and the Senate race in Missouri
An important primary will take place next August 2 and promises to be a three-way war for the Republican nomination for the Missouri Senate. With Senator Roy Blunt leaving his seat at the beginning of 2023, Eric Greitens, Vicky Hartzler, and Eric Schmitt have the seat between their eyebrows. They are the state’s former governor, a 5-term congresswoman, and the state’s attorney general, respectively.
The curious thing is that just a week after learning of the Missourians’ decision, former President Trump did not formally endorse any of the three candidates, which is unusual considering he carried the state by more than 15 points in 2020.
Although Missouri is usually associated with the Republican Party, the truth is that Blunt only beat Jason Kander (D) by a 3.2% margin in 2016. In addition, the GOP’s chances of retaining the seat would appear to be reduced if the former governor turns out to be the nominee. Therefore, the outcome of this primary could be very important in November.
While the former president has yet to endorse anyone, he did take a stab at ruling out one of them. “You can forget about Vicky Hartzler for Senate for the Great State of Missouri…I don’t think she has what it takes to take on the Radical Left Democrats, together with their partner in the destruction of our Country, the fake News Media, and, of course, the deceptive and foolish RINOs,” the former president wrote on his Truth account.
Cruz and Hawley have already chosen their candidates
In turn, those who have already placed themselves behind some names were Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, two names of weight within the party. The former had to go with Schmitt, while the latter opted for Hartzler.
“If you’re really a conservative, you will bear the stripes. You will bear the scars, because you have been in the fight,” Cruz said. “I’m supporting Eric Schmitt, because he has been standing up and fighting for the men and women of Missouri over and over and over again,” Cruz exclaimed at a campaign rally he starred in alongside his candidate.
Hawley followed suit in February 2022 when, via his Twitter account, he made it clear who he would support in the Republican primary. “For almost a year, I’ve been asked who I intend to vote for in primary this August. Well, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll be supporting Vicky Hartzler. Vicky has the integrity, the heart, and the toughness to represent Missouri. I can’t wait to work with her,” wrote the former state attorney general.
What do the polls say?
While the early favorite was former Governor Greitens, his voting intentions have been experiencing an interesting drop as the primary approaches. For example, in the latest Real Clear Politics average of polls, Schmitt is first with 33%, followed by Hartzler with 24.5%, and Greitens himself with 19%.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]