A former Navy SEAL will be the next governor of Missouri. Republican Eric Greitens defeated Democratic attorney general Chris Koster by a wide margin.
Despite polling well behind Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in the Missouri, Greitens rode the same wave of anti-establishment anger to a convincing win.
“Tonight we did more than win an election," Greitens said. "We restored power to the people and we took our state back.”
But Greitens pledged to serve those who had supported his opponent as well. Koster, for his part, urged the two parties to cooperate.
"If we fail to cooperate as Missourians, we will find no path forward,” Koster said.
Greitens’ win ends eight years of Democratic control of the Missouri governor’s mansion. The Republican Governors Association dumped nearly 17 million dollars into the race.
