Two days after St. Louis beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine entered the Democrat primary for U.S. senator from Missouri, there were increased calls on the Republican side for controversial former Gov. Eric Greitens to exit the race.
As soon as Busch Valentine — who is expected to spend heavily from her family fortune — got in the race, former state Sen. Scott Sifton of St. Louis County got out and endorsed her.
"There is only one reason she got into the race and that is on the assumption Republicans will make the colossal mistake of nominating Greitens," former Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a 2016 co-chairman of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the "Show Me State," told Newsmax.
He was referring to the growing controversy surrounding Greitens, who resigned the governorship in 2018 as the Republican-controlled legislature was poised to impeach him following testimony of abuse by a former mistress.
A week ago, Greitens' former wife, Sheena, charged physical abuse of their two children on his part while the couple was separating.
Since then, outgoing Republican Sen. Roy Blunt has called on Greitens to withdraw from the Aug. 2 primary. A number of his fellow Republican Senate candidates have also joined the "Greitens must go" chorus.
Busch Valentine's surprise entry into the race comes as a just-completed Trafalgar Poll shows the charges against Greitens have taken their toll.
According to the poll, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler now edges longtime front-runner Greitens by 24.9% to 24.35. State Attorney General Eric Schmitt placed third in the field with 21.6%; Rep. Billy Long, 8.1%; and St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey, 2.3%.
Busch Valentine, daughter of the late beer baron August "Gussie" Busch Jr., has been a major fund-raiser for Democrats and hosted an event for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at her family's estate.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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