The August 2nd primary race to replace retiring U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R- MO) is shaping up with 25 candidates, including 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats, with some familiar names set to appear on the ballot.

Blunt, a member of GOP leadership in Congress, will leave behind a long career in politics that dates back to the 1980’s with stints as both Missouri’s Secretary of State and as a Representative in the U.S. House. His absence, however, will make room for some newcomers. 

According to a recent Pew Research poll, Blunt’s replacement is still likely to be a Republican with nearly 70% of Missouri’s residents identifying as “conservative”. Republicans have already managed to keep the seat since 1987.

This year, Republicans will be watching races to ensure they maintain or pick up new seats in their bid to regain control of the House or the Senate, or both.  This year, as of April 8, nearly 50 lawmakers serving in the 117th Congress have announced plans to retire or seek a new office at the end of their term. These races could make or break the power struggle between Republicans and Democrats. 

Several of the Republicans running in the primary will have the advantage of some name recognition among voters.  Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long are currently serving in the House, with their terms expected to expire on January 3rd.  During an interview with Spectrum News, Congressman Long leaned on his congressional voting record as proof he has the qualifications to be the state’s next U.S. Senator. 

“I’ve got a very conservative, the most conservative voting record of anyone running …and if you vote for me, you're gonna get the same person, the same voting record that I've had, I'm a proven quantity, a lot of these other candidates that I'm running against are reinventing their record. They're saying they're a lot more conservative,” said Long. 

Rep. Hartzler also emphasized her “conservative voting record” to Spectrum News but also pointed out she has the endorsement of the state’s other Senator, Josh Hawley. 

“I’ve been ranked the third most conservative member of the U.S. House. That’s why Senator Josh Hawley has endorsed my campaign to join him in the Senate and stop the Socialist policies coming from radical Democrats,” said Rep Hartzler.

Currently the state’s junior senator, Hawley’s endorsement of Hartzler is big for her campaign. The two have even embarked on a joint fundraising venture. 

So far, Blunt has refused to endorse a candidate but Long is still hoping to garner the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. 

“We've got a good relationship. He actually called on the night before we registered…He left me a voice mail, a nice voice mail….I mean, everyone wants this endorsement, everybody in this race wants his endorsement. I'm just pitching my case that no one's been with him longer, stronger. I originated the phrase, 'Trump Train',“ said Long. 

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has thrown his hat into the race as well. Once a rising star in the GOP, Greitens resigned from office in 2018 after being indicted on an invasion-of-privacy charge. He was accused of taking a compromising photo of his hairstylist, without her consent, during a 2015 extramarital affair. Greitens has also been involved in a heated child custody case with his ex-wife, who has described Greitens’ as “erratic” and “unhinged”.  Those allegations, however, didn't seem to have an impact on support for the former Governor, at least initially. In the first few weeks after the deadline to run, some polls showed Greitens did have a significant amount of support but those numbers have dropped in recent weeks. 

Rep. Long did warn others in his party that endorsing Greitens would be a mistake and wouldn’t help Republicans achieve their goal of gaining the majority in Congress. 

“If we nominate Eric Greitens, we're gonna spend $40 to $50 million trying to drag him over the finish line. We can spend that money in Arizona to pick up that Senate seat,” said Long. 

Missouri’s state Attorney General Eric Schmitt is another Republican vying for Blunt’s seat. Both Schmitt and Greitens traveled to Florida in February to participate in the Conservative Political Action Conference. CPAC was packed with elected officials, candidates and other political figures. The consensus among those to speak at the event, which took place over several days, was that this election cycle could have dire consequences for the GOP.

Rounding out the conservatives taking part in the primary are Mark McCloskey, a man many may remember for threatening Black Lives Matter protesters with a gun in front of his home.  State Senate President Pro-Tempore Dave Schatz is also running. 

While some may expect a Republican to win Blunt’s seat, the primary will result in both a Republican and Democratic winner. The two will then face off in a general election in November. 

Within the Democratic field are two candidates of note. One is Trudy Busch Valentine. The political novice doesn’t have the same resume as some of those running in the Republican primary, but she does have the financial backing and name recognition that some candidates can only dream of. An heiress of the Anheuser-Busch family, Valentine told Spectrum News that she’s pursuing a career in politics now because she felt compelled to under the current circumstances.

"I decided to run for U.S. Senate in Missouri to put politics aside and to put people first. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore talking about the ineffectiveness and disrespect in our politics. I knew I had to have the courage to actually do something about it and that’s why I’m running.  Today, our communities are strong, but our politics are broken. Families are losing ground and wage gains aren't keeping up with inflation. The cost of basic necessities keep on rising. The people of Missouri deserve a senator who will stand up for them and their families. That's why I'm in this race,” said Valentine. 

The second Democrat seen as a potential contender, in contrast to his Republican counterparts, is Lucas Kunce. A military veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Kunce is seen as a player because of his remarkable ability to fundraise. As of December 31st, Kunce had out raised all of his competitors, even the Republicans. 

Kunce told Spectrum News, "People are sick of having zero power while the corporate elites and criminal politicians take everything for themselves…I'm running to be a warrior for working people. We've got support from every county across this state, a campaign powered by real people - not a single penny from corporate PACs. It's time we fundamentally change who has power in this country."

According to Politico, the most recent polling on the race puts Rep. Hartzler in the lead with 23% of the vote and Greitens losing the top spot, dropping to 22%.