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Covering state lawmakers, bills, and policy emerging from Jefferson City.

Hawley Wins Republican Attorney General Nomination, Calls for Party Unity in November

Josh Hawley
Han Zhao
/
KSMU

By a nearly 30 percent margin, Josh Hawley won the Missouri attorney general nomination of the Republican Party Tuesday night.

“Erin and I are so honored by your confidence that you have placed in us,” said Hawley during his victory speech at Springfield’s Metropolitan Grill. “And we are honored to be able to carry the Republican message into the fall. It’s going to be a clear contrast in the fall.”

Hawley defeated State Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia. The 36-year-old law professor at the University of Missouri is a former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. He will be challenged in November’s general election by Democrat Teresa Hensley, who narrowly defeated Jake Zimmerman.

Approximately 50 people attended Hawley’s watch party, and included supporters like Michael Raymond, a business consultant.

“I think his brochure here says it all. ‘I believe in the Constitution as it is written. I believe our freedoms come from God. I’m running for attorney general because I believe Missouri needs an authentic constitutional conservative defending the freedom of our people.’ That says it all,” Raymond says.

Hawley survived attack ads during the primary saying he had defended a terrorist and a terrorist organization – denying the former charge. Still, he expressed gratitude towards Schaefer’s campaign and called for party unity moving forward.