ST. LOUIS–When Trudy Busch Valentine, a nurse and an Anheuser-Busch heiress, entered the Democratic primary to be Missouri’s U.S. Senator, her introductory campaign video talked about uniting a divided state.
“Most Missouri families include Democrats, independents and Republicans. Mine sure does,” she said with a deadpanned expression.
Republican members of her family gave her political headaches in the primary, thanks to plans–ultimately scrapped–to hold a fundraiser for an arm of the NRA at Grant’s Farm. Some of those family members, including August Busch III, contributed to a SuperPAC which ultimately helped Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt rise to the top of the field and handily win the GOP nomination Tuesday.
How did the larger Busch family react to her own win Tuesday?
“They know I’m a serious candidate now,” Busch Valentine told Spectrum News Wednesday morning in her first campaign event of the general election after defeating ten other Democrats, including a roughly 5-point edge over Marine veteran Lucas Kunce. “I’ve heard from a lot of them this morning, with really good support.”
Busch Valentine may or may not win over some members of her family but she could have a task ahead of convincing more than 200,000 Democrats who voted for another candidate, including 140,000 Kunce voters, who took to his campaign’s message of supporting working-class families instead of wealthy “Country Club Republicans” and big business interests.
Schmitt attempted to tap into the same vein in his primary victory speech when he said “I don’t come from billions. I come from Bridgeton,” Tuesday night.
Kunce and Busch Valentine clashed in the primary over Busch Valentine’s position on access to transgender health care for children. She believes irreversible procedures should wait until the age of 18, while others, including Kunce and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, a Busch Valentine endorser, support earlier gender-affirming treatment.
Kunce’s campaign reiterated Wednesday that he was committed to helping the entire Democrat ticket in November.
Busch Valentine was asked twice Wednesday how she planned to bring the party together. She said the work ahead is no different than it was when she entered the race.
“I’m going to be who I am. I’m going to still go all around Missouri, listening to people, hearing what they’re saying, hearing what their needs are and I’m coming at this to really serve the people of Missouri, nothing else, and to keep our democracy strong and our voting rights safe,” she said generally, while painting Schmitt as extreme on the issue of abortion specifically and also pointing to independent candidate John Wood’s position against abortion.
Schmitt faces a similar challenge. More than 350,000 Republicans voted for another candidate Tuesday, although almost all of the major contenders were targeting what would be described as the "Donald Trump" wing of the party where Schmitt already sits. To borrow a cliche, the independent candidacy of former U.S. Attorney John Wood, backed by former Sen. John Danforth, will try to "thread the needle" of finding Republicans, independents and conservative Democrats who don't identify with Trump or liberals like Chuck Schumer.
Wood wasted little time Tuesday night entering the fray.
The Schmitt campaign did not have any official appearances on the schedule Wednesday. In Washington, Sen. Roy Blunt, who did not endorse in the primary, said he was ready to help Schmitt now.