ST. LOUIS — Candidate Will Scharf conceded Tuesday evening to incumbent Andrew Bailey in the Republican primary for Missouri attorney general.
"Tonight we came up short," Scharf said in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in which he conceded the victory to Bailey. "We always knew that challenging an incumbent and the Jefferson City establishment would be difficult, and despite the tremendous grassroots energy around our campaign Andrew Bailey has certainly earned a full term in office. He has my unqualified support in the general election, and I hope that he will do Missouri proud in the coming years."
The Missouri Attorney General handles consumer complaints, enforces the Sunshine Law, and more.
The polls closed at 7 p.m. Tap here for live primary results.
Tuesday was voters’ first chance to weigh in on Bailey, another Parson appointee named to the position after Eric Schmitt resigned to become a U.S. senator in 2022. Scharf is one of former President Trump's personal attorneys and is critical of the job Bailey has done.
Big money groups with connections to key Republican campaign financier Leonard Leo had backed Scharf. Both candidates take conservative positions, but Bailey has gone through the Missouri political system while much of Scharf’s career has been in Washington.
"I will never forget the people who stood with us, and I plan to continue to deliver wins for President Trump and for the conservative movement in the months and years ahead — but unfortunately not as your next Attorney General," Scharf said.
One Democrat appeared on the ballot in the primary: Elad Jonathan Gross.
Republican primary
The Associated Press contributed to this story.