2022 United States Senate election in Missouri

The 2022 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 8, 2022, concurrently with elections for all other Class 3 U.S. senators and elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, to select a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Missouri. Incumbent senator Roy Blunt, a Republican, did not seek a third term in office. Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the open seat, defeating Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine.

Republican primary
In March 2021, incumbent Republican Senator Roy Blunt announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022.

Republican candidates for Blunt's Senate seat included former Gov. Eric Greitens, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, U.S. Rep. Billy Long, and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Schmitt's candidacy was backed by Missouri mega-donor Rex Sinquefield. In the speech announcing his candidacy, Schmitt tied himself to Donald Trump and spoke against "the radical left". He pledged to vote against Mitch McConnell for the Senate Republican party leadership position.

In February 2022, Hartzler's campaign released a 30-second ad criticizing Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania women's team. In the ad, Hartzler said, "Women's sports are for women, not men pretending to be women", adding that, as Missouri's senator, she would not "look away while woke liberals destroy women's sports."

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley endorsed Hartzler in February 2022. On July 8, 2022, Donald Trump refused to endorse Hartzler, saying, "I don't think she has what it takes to take on the Radical Left Democrats."

Greitens was endorsed by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, the latter joining his campaign as a national chair.

Many Republican officials, strategists, and donors maneuvered to stymie Greitens's attempted comeback, believing that the scandal surrounding his resignation as governor, his extramarital affair, and the sexual assault accusation against him would make him a weak general election candidate and lead to the loss of the Senate seat to a Democrat. Notable Republican opponents of Greitens's candidacy included Karl Rove, Johnny DeStefano, and Senator Rick Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. After Greitens's ex-wife filed an affidavit against him in March 2022 accusing him of physical abuse, Senator Josh Hawley (who had endorsed Vicky Hartzler the previous month ) called upon Greitens to drop out.

Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein funded a pro-Greitens super PAC ("Team PAC"), contributing $2.5 million to it. Other Republican megadonors, including Rex Sinquefield and August Busch, aligned against Greitens. A Republican-funded anti-Greitens super PAC ("Show Me Values PAC") was created in June 2022 and ran $6.2 million in ads through late July 2022.

Republican officials, including Rick Scott, waged a campaign to persuade Donald Trump not to endorse Greitens. On the eve of the primary election, Trump issued a statement endorsing "ERIC" in the primary, leaving it unclear which "Eric" he was endorsing.

In the primary election, Schmitt prevailed with 45.7% of the vote; Hartzler received 22.1%, Greitens 18.9%, and Long 5%.



Nominee

 * Eric Schmitt, Missouri Attorney General (2019–2023) and former Missouri State Treasurer (2017–2019)

Eliminated in primary

 * Robert Allen
 * Russel Pealer Breyfogle Jr., retired social worker
 * Dennis Lee Chilton, 2018 Missouri House of Representatives candidate
 * C. W. Gardner, doorman and former broadcaster
 * Eric Greitens, former governor of Missouri (2017–2018)
 * Vicky Hartzler, U.S. Representative from MO's 4th congressional district (2011–2023)
 * Rickey Joiner, barber and business owner
 * Patrick A. Lewis, union construction laborer
 * Billy Long, U.S. Representative from MO's 7th congressional district (2011–2023)
 * Darrell Leon McClanahan III, political activist, KKK Member
 * Mark McCloskey, attorney and 2020 Republican National Convention speaker known for his involvement in the St. Louis gun-toting controversy
 * Eric McElroy, comedian and U.S. Navy veteran
 * Bernie Mowinsk, retired U.S. Air Force sergeant and perennial candidate
 * Robert Olson
 * Deshon Porter, host of The Big D Zone
 * Dave Schatz, president pro tempore of the Missouri Senate (2019–2023), state senator (2015–2023)
 * Kevin C. Schepers
 * Dave Sims, Monett public works employee and former radio host
 * Hartford Tunnell, college professor
 * Curtis D. Vaughn, valet parking attendant and liquor salesman

Missed filing deadline

 * John Brinkmann, insurance agency owner and financial consultant
 * Rik Combs, retired U.S. Air Force Officer and Libertarian nominee for Governor of Missouri in 2020
 * Jeremy Gundel, farmer and write-in candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2020

Withdrew

 * Roy Blunt, incumbent U.S. Senator (2011–2023) and Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (2019–2023)
 * Dan McQueen, former mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas (2016–2017) (ran for the U.S. House)

Declined

 * Jay Ashcroft, Missouri Secretary of State (2017–present)
 * Scott Fitzpatrick, Missouri State Treasurer (2019–2023) (ran for state auditor)
 * Timothy A. Garrison, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri (2018–2021)
 * Mike Kehoe, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri (2018–present) (ran for governor)
 * Peter Kinder, former lieutenant governor of Missouri (2005–2017)
 * Blaine Luetkemeyer, U.S. Representative from MO's 3rd congressional district (2013–present) and MO's 9th congressional district (2009–2013) (ran for re-election)
 * Mike Parson, Governor of Missouri (2018–present)
 * Jason Smith, U.S. Representative from MO's 8th congressional district (2013–present) (ran for re-election)
 * Kathy Swan, former state representative (2012–2021)
 * Ann Wagner, U.S. Representative from MO's 2nd congressional district (2013–present) (ran for re-election)

Endorsements
The day before the primary, former president Donald Trump released a statement endorsing "ERIC". There were three candidates with the first name Eric running in the Republican primary: Eric Greitens, Eric McElroy, and Eric Schmitt. Trump's statement did not offer any clarification on whether this was an endorsement for one or multiple candidates, and when reached for comment by NBC News, Trump's office declined to clarify the endorsement.

Polling

 * Graphical summary

Results
[[File:2022 United States Senate Republican primary election in Missouri results map by county.svg|thumb|250px|Results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Schmitt}}

{{legend|#ffc8cd|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Hartzler}}

{{legend|#ffcca9|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ffb380|40–50%}} {{legend|#FACA33|Greitens}}

{{legend|#FDE387|40–50%}} ]]

Democratic primary
As the Democratic primary season progressed, three main contenders emerged: Lucas Kunce, director of national security at the American Economic Liberties Project; Spencer Toder, a businessman; and Trudy Busch Valentine, heiress of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company. Kunce and Toder both campaigned as anti-establishment populists, whereas Valentine campaigned in a staid manner with few public appearances.

Nominee

 * Trudy Busch Valentine, retired nurse, businesswoman, activist, and daughter of beer magnate August Busch Jr.

Eliminated in primary

 * Ron Harris, truck driver, U.S. Air Force veteran, and perennial candidate
 * Jewel Kelly, real estate agent and U.S. Air Force veteran
 * Pat Kelly, environmental engineer and patent attorney
 * Lucas Kunce, national security director of the American Economic Liberties Project and retired U.S. Marine Corps officer
 * Lewis Rolen, medical operational assistant
 * Gena Ross, college professor and nominee for MO's 6th congressional district in 2020
 * Josh Shipp, physical therapy technician and candidate for Missouri's 1st congressional district in 2018
 * Clay Taylor
 * Spencer Toder, entrepreneur
 * Carla Coffee Wright, businesswoman, actress, and perennial candidate

Withdrew

 * Tim Shepard, tech entrepreneur (endorsed Valentine)
 * Scott Sifton, former state senator (2013–2021) (endorsed Valentine)

Declined

 * Nicole Galloway, incumbent State Auditor of Missouri and nominee for Governor of Missouri in 2020
 * Jason Kander, former Secretary of State of Missouri (2013–17) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2016
 * Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City (2019–present) (ran for re-election in 2023)
 * Claire McCaskill, former U.S. Senator
 * Jay Nixon, former governor of Missouri (2009–2017) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1988 and 1998
 * Brian Williams, state senator (2019–present) (ran for re-election)
 * Clint Zweifel, former Missouri State Treasurer (2009–2017)

Polling

 * Graphical summary

Results
[[File:2022 United States Senate Democratic primary election in Missouri results map by county.svg|thumb|250px|Results by county: {{legend|#7A97E3|Busch Valentine}}

{{legend|#BED4FF|<40%}}

{{legend|#A6B2FF|40–50%}}

{{legend|#7A97E3|50–60%}}

{{legend|#6675DF|60–70%}} {{legend|#AE8BB1|Kunce/Toder tie}}

{{legend|#D3B3DA|<40%}} {{legend|#50C3C3|Kunce}}

{{legend|#ADF2F2|<40%}}

{{legend|#7EDEDE|40–50%}}

{{legend|#50C3C3|50–60%}} ]]

Nominee

 * Jonathan Dine, nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012 and 2016

Nominee

 * Paul Venable, information technology consultant and nominee for Secretary of State in 2020

Candidates
John Wood, a former Bush administration official and a January 6 Committee investigator, announced that he would run for the seat as an independent on June 29, but he withdrew from the race after former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens lost the Republican primary to Schmitt.

Withdrew

 * Thomas Schneider, former mayor of Florissant (2011–2019) (endorsed Schatz and Valentine)
 * John Wood, former senior counsel for the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack and former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri (2007–2009) and former General Counsel for the US Chamber of Commerce

Missed ballot deadline

 * Rick Seabaugh, sales manager
 * Nicholas Strauss, network engineer

Polling

 * Aggregate polls
 * Graphical summary


 * Eric Greitens vs. Lucas Kunce
 * Eric Greitens vs. Trudy Busch Valentine
 * Vicky Hartzler vs. Lucas Kunce
 * Vicky Hartzler vs. Trudy Busch Valentine
 * Billy Long vs. Lucas Kunce
 * Eric Schmitt vs. Lucas Kunce


 * Eric Greitens vs. Lucas Kunce vs. generic independent


 * Eric Greitens vs. Jay Nixon
 * Eric Greitens vs. Scott Sifton
 * Eric Greitens vs. generic Democrat
 * Generic Republican vs. generic Democrat
 * Vicky Hartzler vs. Scott Sifton
 * Billy Long vs. Scott Sifton
 * Eric Schmitt vs. Jay Nixon
 * Eric Schmitt vs. Scott Sifton
 * Roy Blunt vs. Jason Kander
 * Roy Blunt vs. Scott Sifton

Results
Schmitt prevailed over Valentine on Election Day.

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Clay (Largest city: Kansas City)
 * Platte (Largest city: Kansas City)

By congressional district
Schmitt won 6 of 8 congressional districts.