Incumbent Josh Hawley will continue representing Missouri in the United States Senate.
"Tonight we voted to save the United States of America," said Hawley in a victory speech, referring to Missouri going to Trump. "That's what this election has been like from day one."
He said the results show that Missourians "believe in this country and that God is not done with this country yet."
Hawley defeated Lucas Kunce, a Marine veteran who promised to be a senator for the working class and to codify Roe v Wade, could not pull out a win in a state once considered to be a bellwether but that has turned red over the last few years. The most recent Democratic governor of Missouri was Jay Nixon who was term limited in 2016. All statewide offices are held by Republicans.
The campaign turned bitter at times, with the candidates trading barbs in speeches, advertisements, a Halloween night debate in St. Louis and during a confrontation at the Missouri State Fair.
In the final leg of the campaign, Hawley drew criticism because of his use of private jets, and Kunce accused the senator of treating Missouri “like fly-over country.”
Hawley repeatedly claimed Kunce supports taxpayer money going to transgender surgeries and hormone treatments.
At a watch party at The Workshop at Finley Farms, owned by the founder of Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris, Josh Hawley and his supporters celebrated as Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." blared over the speakers after it was clear that he had won the race.
