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After a hotly contested primary, Congressman Kenny Hulshof has won the republican nomination for governor. He'll face democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon in the governor's race this November. KSMU's Benjamin Fry was at the Greene County Republican's watch party Tuesday night and has this report.
Early on, nearly a hundred gathered at the new Republican Headquarters in Springfield to await the results of the state primary.
Dozens of campaign posters lined the sleek black walls as an intent audience glanced at three television screens tuned into the different news outlets.
Overhead, a projector illuminated and updated the results of Greene County races.
But as the margin grew in the governor's race, the crowd thinned out.
"I'm here at the Greene County Republican Headquarters where it's become apparent that Congressman Kenny Hulshof will come out ahead of Treasurer Sarah Steelman. Now that the Republican Party has a nominee for governor, Greene County Central Committee Chair Danette Proctor says it's time to put any contentious feelings of the primary campaign behind them."
Danette Proctor: "I think we will get together. I know there will be hard feelings, there always is, but I feel that we can pull together for the betterment of our party."
I spoke to supporters of both Hulshof and Steelman.
Some said they'll vote republican no matter who gets nominated while others were willing to see how the general election campaign goes and possibly break with their party.
Republican Congressman Roy Blunt says the excitement this primary has brought to Southwest Missouri bodes well for the national election in November.
Roy Blunt: "I think we're going to give our candidates substantial votes, not just from republicans but from conservative democrats and independents, who are going to look at our statewide candidates starting with John McCain, and think that this is the place that they want the country to go."
Roy Blunt himself is on the ballot this November.
He'll face a challenge from Democrat Richard Monroe.
For KSMU news, I'm Benjamin Fry.
