Trudy Busch Valentine wins Missouri's Senate Democrat primary

Trudy Busch Valentine, heiress of Anheuser-Busch beer, was declared the projected winner Tuesday night in the Missouri Democrat Senate primary.

Busch Valentine defeated Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and nine other candidates after announcing her candidacy in March, a year after Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said he was retiring.

The Associated Press declared Busch Valentine the projected winner with 43.2% of the vote and 74% of the votes counted. Kunce had 38.3% of the vote at the time.

Busch Valentine, a widowed mother of six, said her eldest son’s death from an opioid overdose in 2020 was part of her motivation to run for office. 

"Matt’s death brought so much sadness," she said in a video announcing her candidacy. "But it also reignited the passion in me to make a positive difference for others, this time on a larger scale."