JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — According to an NBC News projection, Eric Schmitt will be the Republican candidate to compete in the November general election for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat.
Senator Roy Blunt's retirement leaves an open seat in the U.S. Senate and dozens of Republican elected officials and newcomers – 21 to be exact – lined up for a chance to replace him.
Republican primary candidates
Robert Allen, Dennis Lee Chilton, C.W. Gardner, Eric Greitens, Vicky Hartzler, Rickey Joiner, Patrick A. Lewis, Billy Long, Darrell Leon McClanahan III, Mark McCloskey, Eric McElroy, Bernie Mowinski, Robert Olson, Russel Pealer Breyfogle Jr., Deshon Porter, Dave Schatz, Kevin C. Schepers, Eric Schmitt, Dave Sims, Hartford Tunnell and Curtis D. Vaughn.
Eric Greitens
Eric Greitens, 48, was born and raised in St. Louis. He received a bachelor's degree at Duke University and went on to study at Oxford University. He is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Greitens served as the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in 2018. He resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of campaign information surfaced.
Vicky Hartzler
Vicky Hartzler, 61, has served as the U.S. representative for Missouri’s 4th district since 2011. She previously served as the Missouri representative for the 124th district from 1995-2000.
With Senator Josh Hawley’s endorsement, Hartzler hopes she can move to the Senate as Republican voters prepare to rally against Democrats in November.
Hartzler features a picture of her and former President Donald Trump on her campaign website, though Trump recently said, "I don't think she has what it takes."
Billy Long
U.S. Representative Billy Long won his first election to Congress in 2010, replacing former Congressman Roy Blunt. Long hopes to follow in Blunt’s footsteps again as he runs for the U.S. Senate.
While he serves as a representative for Missouri’s 7th district, he is also a rural auctioneer and sports a cowboy hat. Long represents the southwest corner of Missouri, a rural region his campaign calls “MAGA Country.”
In an interview in 2021, Long said he’s running for Senate because he wants to make sure his party takes it back.
Mark McCloskey
The name Mark McCloskey may ring bells for some people, and not because he’s had a career in politics. McCloskey made national headlines during a protest in the Central West End following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
McCloskey, a personal injury attorney, grabbed his gun and stood guard outside his home as protestors marched through the streets. The incident sparked a national conversation about race, privilege, police violence and gun rights.
Governor Mike Parson pardoned McCloskey and his wife of misdemeanors related to the incident. McCloskey’s campaign website features the image of him brandishing a high-powered semi-automatic rifle outside his home.
Dave Schatz
As the leader of the Missouri State Senate, Dave Schatz shepherded some of the most conservative bills through the legislature. Those bills include a complete ban on all abortion procedures and the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which threatens to fine or prosecute police that attempt to enforce federal gun laws in Missouri.
Schatz has discussed ways to balance the federal budget and promises to bring “the Missouri way” to Washington, D.C.
Eric Schmitt
Eric Schmitt is the Attorney General of Missouri.
Schmitt was appointed attorney general by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018 after Missouri's former attorney general Josh Hawley was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Schmitt served as the treasurer of Missouri from 2017 to 2019. He also served as a member of the Missouri State Senate representing District 15.
Schmitt has made headlines in recent years for his actions against mask mandates in schools.
